"I landed on my knee again and thought: s**t" - Fem van Empel survives fall to take victory at Superprestige Heusden-Zolder

Despite sliding out on a descent, Fem van Empel was able to bounce back from Boxing Day disappointment to take a thrilling win at Superprestige Heusden-Zolder.

"It was a very nice round today and the crowd was great," reflected the world champion in her post-race interview. "After yesterday I am very happy that I could win again."

This was by no means a walk over however. A expert performance from Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado put van Empel into difficulty, as did a dramatic descent. "There were many pieces of stone in the sand and my rear wheel got stuck. I fell off with my weight," she explains. "I landed on my knee again and thought: s**t. But it was better for me to get up than to stay down. I didn't want to give Ceylin too much space afterwards, because then she'll be gone. But I got through it okay.”

"I tried to ride into the finish line on Ceylin's wheel. We had a tailwind. It was a gamble because Ceylin is also rap, but it was enough," she concludes. "I was really keen to be good again today and it was a great battle together."