"I want to silence the critics in this way" - Fem van Empel sends message to doubters with Koppenbergcross domination
CyclocrossFriday, 01 November 2024 at 15:10
Fem van Empel was dominant in victory Koppenbergcross 2024, opening the women's X2O Badkamers Trofee campaign in style. After a quieter than expected opening to her winter, Van Empel also sent a message to those who had been beginning to raise doubts.
“This is my favourite cross of the entire season. That I can now win for the third time in a row is really great," reflected the new queen of the Koppenberg in her post-race interview, having dominated the field from the start, taking victory ahead of Lucinda Brand and Sara Casasola. "It also feels great. I worked hard for it and am very happy with it.”
Although Van Empel only failed to take victory in just two crosses last season, already this campaign, the world champion has been defeated on three occasions, leading to criticism from some. Rather than biting back verbally, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike star has let her legs do the talking. "Maybe I want to silence the critics in this way," she concludes. "I don't say anything. I respond with the pedals."
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Results: Women's Koppenbergcross 2024
| 01 | van Empel Fem | 39:51 |
| 02 | Brand Lucinda | + 31 |
| 03 | Casasola Sara | + 01:35 |
| 04 | Vas Blanka | + 02:00 |
| 05 | Worst Annemarie | + 02:05 |
| 06 | Betsema Denise | + 03:55 |
| 07 | Van Sinaey Xaydee | + 04:57 |
| 08 | Crabbe Kiona | + 05:06 |
| 09 | Kay Anna | + 05:11 |
| 10 | De Beer Jamie | + 05:33 |
| 11 | Brouwers Julie | + 06:00 |
| 12 | Day Elena | + 06:09 |
| 13 | Van De Steene Kim | + 06:28 |
| 14 | Peeters Jinse | + 06:57 |
| 15 | Flynn Anna | + 07:01 |
| 16 | Crees Xan | + 07:23 |
| 17 | De Schoesitter Shanyl | + 08:02 |
| 18 | Hurteloup Adèle | + 08:30 |
| 19 | Inglis Hope | + 08:42 |
| 20 | Maes Lisa | + 08:43 |
| 21 | Paul Stefanie | + 08:49 |
| 22 | Hoefmans Pem | + 09:02 |
| 23 | Budde Kaija | + 09:35 |
| 24 | Delcommune Juline | + 09:48 |
| 25 | Defour Lara | + 09:55 |
| 26 | De Raedemaeker Alexe | + 09:58 |
| 27 | Takken Roxanne | + 10:14 |
| 28 | Schevenels Lies'l | + 10:30 |
| 29 | Perryman Amy | + 11:07 |
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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Davide15-07-2026 - Tadej is paid to win bike races, that is what he is doing.mij15-07-2026
- and you know this how???mij15-07-2026
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