Lucinda Brand will miss the start of the UEC European Cyclocross Championships in Namur on Saturday. Defending champion Lucinda Brand broke a bone in her hand two weeks ago and is still recuperating.

The Valoise Trek team announced the news on Thursday, posting comments from Brand on social media.

"Unfortunately, I will not be able to defend my European title in Namur on Saturday. 'My right hand is recovering very well. 'The recovery of my right hand is going very well. However, especially in Cross and Namur, where technical skill and control are very important, I have to conclude that a recovery of 80% is not enough for a victory on Saturday.

"Over the next week, I will continue to focus on recovery and training in order to take the final steps toward a return to racing.

On October 23, Brand fractured his metacarpal (one of the bones between the finger and wrist) while running the front of the course at the Tabor round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup. The next day, he underwent surgery in Belgium and wore a cast.

The setback was a major obstacle for Brand, who went on to win 20 races in each of the World Cup, Superprestige, and X2O Budkamers Trophy series, breaking last year's record.

Brand started the cyclocross season in late September in Bellingen in second place behind Femme van Empel (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal). She took her first win the following week in Meulebeke. However, in her first World Cup races in Waterloo (Wisconsin) and Fayetteville (Arkansas), Brand faced an unstoppable Van Empel.

After winning the first four rounds, Van Empel has built a commanding 160-point lead in the World Cup. His teammate Denise Bessema is second with 88 points and Brand is seventh with 55 points.

While winning the overall World Cup may be difficult considering the rounds he missed, Brand can still aim for the Superprestige, where the first round was held on October 29. Betsema won in Rudervoorde to take the series lead over Inge van der Heyden (777) and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin Deceuninck).

Van Empel leads the X2O Badkamers Trophy after winning the first round of the Koppenberg Cross. However, because of the timed series, Brand will be at a significant disadvantage in this series, as riders who miss a race will have five minutes deducted from their overall total.