Fem van Empel retains Cyclo-cross World Championships title in style - 'It's the cherry on the cake'

Published 03/02/2024 at 18:07 GMT

Fem van Empel retained her elite women's title at the Cyclo-cross World Championships with a flawless performance in Tabor. The 21-year-old has been in imperious form this season and did not falter in defence of her world crown. She took the lead early and kept the hammer down to take the line more than a minute clear of Lucinda Brand in second, with Puck Pieterse completing the podium.

Highlights: Van Empel retains title at World Championships with flawless performance

Fem van Empel defended her UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships crown with a dominant performance in Tabor, Czech Republic.

The Dutchwoman made a fast start and never looked back, crossing the line more than a minute ahead of her compatriots Lucinda Brand and Puck Pieterse in second and third respectively to clinch an 18th win from 20 cyclo-cross races this season.

“I did everything for this race, the whole season,” Van Empel said. “It’s the cherry on the cake of my pretty good season, I’m so happy.

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“This is not my own victory but the victory of Team Fem, the whole group around me. It’s so special. It meant a lot.

“It was a special day today, everything needed to be in the right place at the right moment and it went so well today. I’m super happy.”

A ‘special day’ - Van Empel says retaining title is ‘cherry on the cake’

Van Empel showed why she was the clear favourite from the outset, taking the lead during the opening muddy sections as Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado was forced to dismount and run.

Brand and Pieterse led a chase to try and bridge the early gap to the 21-year-old, which stood at 16 seconds at the end of the first lap, but Van Empel was too strong.

She increased her advantage during the second lap and took the bell for the final circuit more than a minute clear, with Brand and Pieterse left to battle it out for second.

Van Empel cruised to the finish and allowed herself to celebrate a clinical victory in the closing stages, eventually crossing the line a minute and 20 seconds ahead of Brand, with Pieterse a further 34 seconds back in third.

Alvarado made it an all-Dutch top four, with Belgium’s Laura Verdonschot taking fifth.

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