"It is not fun to see someone win so easily" - Cyrille Guimard growing bored of Fem van Empel's cyclocross dominance
Cyclocross
The dominant force in women's cyclocross is clear for all to see at the moment. Seven races this season for Fem van Empel and seven victories have left the World Champion seemingly unstoppable.
"There was nothing to do, she is all alone, and besides she likes being alone. There is a clear class gap compared to her opponents," evaluates Cyrille Guimard in his analysis for Cyclism'Actu following van Empel's most recent, dominant performance in adding the European Championship title to her growingly impressive palmares. "In addition, she is calm, technically there is nothing to complain about."
In total, it's thirteen straight wins in cyclocross for the 21-year-old, dating back to the 22nd of January in Benidorm. The last time the Dutchwoman was actually beaten was at the Dutch National Championships, finishing 3rd behind Alpecin-Deceuninck duo, Puck Pieterse and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado.
"It would perhaps be good if there were competitors who arrived in the years to come that put her in difficulty because it is not fun to see someone win so easily," says Guimard. "It may even distract her and demotivate her. Maybe this will lead her to train less well, and therefore perform less well... So we're crossing our fingers that that happens!"
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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🥇Hats off to Fem van Empel 🇳🇱 and Michael Vanthourenhout 🇧🇪 The 2023 @UEC_cycling Cyclo-Cross European Champions were crowned this weekend after some incredible performances on the muddy course of Pont-Château 🇫🇷🔥 #EuroCross23
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