Fem van Empel enters cyclocross season on a high: "I have decided to enjoy this rainbow jersey every race"

Fem van Empel won the World Championships in Hoogerheide last season and then won the remaining two races in her cyclocross schedule. She enters the 2023-2024 season the same way, with an unbeatable performance in Beringen.

“I was really nervous. It is not easy to start as a top favorite, which caused some doubts," the Dutchwoman said at the end of the race to Wielerflits, with her new undisputed role in the CX field - for the time being at least. Van Empel then took initiative herself, attacking and making the difference on lap 2. "I tried to take initiative, but unknowingly got a gap. At first I wanted Ceylin to come back, but then she had to close that gap. That put me in the lead quite early. That was certainly not the intention."

The Jumbo-Visma rider wasn't expecting to be as strong as she proved to be. This led to a victory that had quite big lead - the exact opposite of what was the case in the men's race. She crossed the line with 1:18 minutes of advantage over Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado to take her first of the season - first of many, surely.

“Lap by lap I started to believe in victory a little more, but Ceylin was also doing very well," however she knew that an error could spoil the result at any time. "The sloping side was treacherous, especially if something went wrong there. That's why I always kept riding," she explains. "I have decided to enjoy this rainbow jersey every race. It's not just anything, I'm definitely going to enjoy that.”