Fem van Empel has won the CX World Cup in Benidorm in an outstanding performance. The 20-year-old Dutch rider finished first overall after a blistering last lap and grabbed the day’s victory with some clever steering.
Van Empel jumped immediately and showed her intentions by taking the lead. However, the rider of Team Jumbo-Visma, Shirin van Anrooij, Silvia Persico, and Puck Pieterse alternated positions for six laps. In the end, Van Empel and Pieterse severely screwed up the pace on the final lap, after which a nice duel ensued. The two swapped the lead throughout the lap, but Van Empel closed the distance in the last corners and won the race. It is Van Empel’s twelfth victory of this cross-country season. Marianne Vos finished 13th.
“I accomplished my goal today”, the winner said. “It was a nice battle between the four of us. Staying upright was difficult. A few times, it only went just right. Pieterse kept it exciting until the last corners, and we played hardball. The crowd was very active today. We provided a fantastic race for everyone. I never anticipated that I would win the World Cup until this year. I set out to win one or two races, but every week I surprised myself. I’m overjoyed to be able to add this ranking to my list of honours at the age of 20 already.”
Last week, Van Empel attended a training camp with the women’s team of Team Jumbo-Visma. The European champion then focused on the cyclo-cross competition in Benidorm. “I tried to prepare well. Last week I was able to train well and get to know my new teammates better. That ensured that I was highly motivated at the start. I feel good with this team and definitely owe this victory to them.”
