Fem van Empel: "For the win it was done, but I'm happy with my second place"

Fem van Empel had to be content with second place at the UCI World Cup Hulst. In the race, she lost 40 seconds to Puck Pieterse due to a mechanical problem.

It was normal start for van Empel and she was giving a tough competition to Pieterse in the starting lap. But she crashed hard in the next lap. "Only I fell in a corner. My handlebars were writing and my bike shot into crash mode. I had to make a long run to the material zone after that," explained van Empel.

She knew it would be impossible to expect victory with just two more laps to go and decided to target the next best position. "I fought for my second place, which was the highest possible after my crash. For the win it was done, but I'm happy with my second place. I also did a good job with these points in the World Cup," concluded van Empel.