"It was a fight to the finish" - Fem van Empel relieved to hold off challenge of Puck Pieterse and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado in Benidorm

The penultimate UCI World Cup race of the campaign saw plenty of drama in Benidorm. When all was said and done though, world champion Fem van Empel was the one standing tall.

"The cross was very tough, from start to finish,” reflected the Dutchwoman in her post-race interview having survived a thrilling battle with her compatriots, Puck Pieterse and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado. "Puck and Ceylin had very good legs.”

“It was a battle, just like last year," she continued her recap. "But now it took maybe a hundred meters longer than then. It was a fight to the finish.”

With all three starting the last lap together, van Empel put on the afterburners in the finale to claim the victory. "It was not far to the finish. I knew that the rider who would go through the last corner first could win the race," she explains. "Fortunately, that plan worked out well. Puck was very strong and she jumped over the beams, so she had a few meters. But I kept fighting until the finish. I think the spectators enjoyed today.”