Fem van Empel doesn't panic after a dry streak of three cyclocrosses without a win: "We knew it would be very difficult to match that"
Cyclocross
Fem van Empel was close to round off a 'Perfect Season' in the field last winter, winning 19 out of 21 crosses she attended. After such dominance, the expectations of public were naturally sky-high. Yet with four races in the books, Van Empel has only one victory to her name. To clarify, the results of the 22-year-old Visma | Lease a Bike all-rounder are nevertheless great - finishing on podium in all of her races.
"Her level is definitely good at the moment," her team manager Jan Boven tells WielerFlits. "Of course people can compare with last year, but that was something extraordinary. We knew it would be very difficult to match that."
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Yet Van Empel is asked a lot of questions about her current form. So many questions that sometimes there is even some irritation. "Do you think I lost?" the Dutchwoman shot back to a journalist after her second place in Overijse. "It is not at all bad that I lose a race. I have ridden four races and I have always been on the podium. I know what I am doing and I am at peace with this result."
That Van Empel is now slightly less than last season is therefore taken into account, according to her entourage. "We have made a different planning than last year. We have also learned from last year. We are now training a bit more extensively. We think more in the long term and are less concerned with the current crosses. Are we already working on the campaign on the road? Certainly, that is one of the reasons why we are doing this," says Boven.
"She knows what the big goal is, then it is less difficult. But losing is of course never as much fun when you are a winner." After the European Championships, Van Empel will focus more on training work, in order to be at his best again for the first round of the World Cup. "Then we will do a big block. Then follows a very long period until the World Championships in which we have to be good," Boven concludes.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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