Fem van Empel won the women’s U23 title at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. Photo: Twitter @UCI_CX
Fem van Empel continued the Netherlands’ dominance of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Ostend, Belgium, today when she won the women’s U23 title.
She added to victories on Saturday for compatriots Pim Ronhaar (men’s U23) and Lucinda Brand (women’s elite).
Dutch rider Inge van der Heijden had led at the halfway stage of the four-lap race, but was caught by a trio of riders – Netherlands duo Aniek van Alphen and Van Empel, along with Hungarian Blanka Vas – who took the bell together for the final lap.
Van Empel, a former footballer who is still only 18 years old, proved the strongest after forging clear through the treacherous sand section.
She held her nerve on the grass closing stages to finish three seconds ahead of Van Alphen. Vas denied the Dutch a clean sweep of the podium with her third place finish a further six seconds adrift.
Long-time leader Van der Heijden finished fourth.
“I can’t believe it, I have no words,” said Van Empel.
“I think and dream about this. Before the race, mentally I was very good. I believed in myself the whole race and the last lap I could make it happen. It’s fantastic.”
Van Empel explained that the beach section played an important role in her victory.
“In the sand, I made the difference,” Van Empel said.
“My coach said I must be first into the sand after the bridge. I pushed on the bridge, but Blanka Kata Vas went all out.”
2019 U23 World Champion, @vdheijdeninge 🇳🇱, with a 14 second advantage on lap 2, but it’s not all going her way in the sand!@BlankaVas 🇭🇺 in pursuit with Fem van Empel 🇳🇱 and Aniek van Alphen 🇳🇱.#Ostend2021 pic.twitter.com/F753Cv90Hr
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) January 31, 2021
