"It has really come back" - Fem van Empel fears Val di Sole knee injury returns

Fem van Empel suffered a worrying crash in Val di Sole which saw her miss several races in the Christmas period. She returned in flying form in Baal, but following Koksijde the Dutch supertalent isn't as confident in her recovery.

“After Baal I had a bit of a reaction to my knee, still from that fall in Val di Sole. In Baal it wasn't over yet, but it seems to have gotten a bit worse now. It is really bruised and it takes a while before a bruise is really gone. Now it has really come back," van Empel shared with In de Leiderstrui.

Although she suffered no fractures, van Empel took some days off the bike to recover from a bruised knee and slight concussion. As cyclists traditionally do, she returned to competition quickly after however, but in an interview that took place before her defeat - against Shirin van Anrooij - in Koksijde, she revealed some worries remain over the injuries.

Baal was her first race with the Jumbo-Visma colours in which she impressed, winning with a margin of over two minutes in new colours and a new bike. "I don't think much will change for me personally, at least in the short term," she said of the transfer.

There, she teams up with reigning World Champion, compatriot, veteran and rider of the very same home town Marianne Vos, with who she will likely battle over the coming month. "At least, in the course itself. It is very nice that I am in the team of ladies with a lot of experience. I can still learn a lot from Vos."

She will be having a very different summer now at the Women's World Tour, however she admits that "I'm not really looking at the road season yet. I'm working on the cross first."

Asked for advice to young riders - like her - who are emerging, van Empel concluded: "Just do what you feel like. Don't worry too much about schedules and things like that just yet. First just start cycling 'for fun'. Start slowly, because all the serious stuff will come later."