Fem van Empel: "I never thought I would take the jersey. It's already my eighth win of the season"

Fem van Empel has added European Championships to her list of achievements. The Dutchwoman soloed to her eighth victory of the season in Namur.

Her start was good, and there didn't seem to be any issues until the second lap, when she encountered a mechanical problem. She decided to change the bikes but it cost her 30 seconds of crucial time and she also lost the lead.

"I had a flat tire, and after the change, the goal was to ride to the finish without regret. I found a good pace again and am really very happy that it worked out. I never thought I would take the jersey. It's already my eighth win of the season. I can't believe it." Van Empel said.

This was Van Empel's eighth win of the season and sixth consecutive victory. This time, she not only enjoyed Namur's technically challenging course but also brought home the jersey after missing the podium last year. "It's an iconic course. It was very slippery today, I liked it. It really looks like a mountain bike course," concluded Van Empel.