Fem van Empel "very happy to be competing for the win again"

With a victory at the UCI World Cup Antwerp, Fem van Empel returns to the top of the podium. On the second lap, she created a gap that she maintained until the end to win her ninth race of the season.

She struggled a bit with the start but managed to place herself in the lead by the end of the first lap. "The first part didn't go well. I had very cold hands, so shifting gears and braking were a bit difficult. The focus wasn't there. In the second part, though, I felt good again and was able to ride my own cross. That was enough for victory. I'm very happy with that," she said in the post-race interview.

She took silver at her last three World Cups, but now she's back and hopes to continue the trend. "In the month of November, the focus was on training. We are now in December and I am very happy to be competing for the win again, although the past few crosses have not been bad either," concluded van Empel.