"My body was completely in shock" - World Champion struggled through brutal Dendermonde mud
Cyclocross
Fem van Empel is the reigning World and European Champion but even a rider of such caliber can deeply struggle in a cyclocross race. Yesterday in Dendermonde the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider looked to get the win but had to settle in third in the absolute mud-fest that the race became.
Usually, this is what the riders find in this track, once again a World Cup round this winter. The Dutchwoman had a very difficult start where she lost time but also felt bad.
"That wasn’t the plan. I had a good start, but I don’t know what happened. My body was completely in shock," she explained in a post-race interview. "I haven’t been feeling great the past few days, so maybe it would have been better to start a bit slower. It was a very unusual race. I didn’t panic and just tried to get back into my rhythm."
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By no means did van Empel do a poor race, finishing third at the end of the day only behind a very strong Lucinda Brand and Puck Pieterse, however it was a very tricky race and one she couldn't dominate as she usually does.
After overcoming the tough start, she was then hampered by punctures that continuously delayed her throughout the final laps. "I was never really up with the leader, first Puck was in front, and then Lucinda [Brand]. I caught up to Puck, took over, and then got a rear flat. At the end, I had another flat on the front, which was frustrating".
She confirmed as well at the end of the race that she will actually not be racing the Dutch national championships next weekend, taking a week off from racing, ahead of the final block of the season. "I’m not riding it; it’s a deliberate choice". At the time being Pieterse has confirmed that she will race them, whilst defending champion Lucinda Brand is still yet to make the decision.
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Women Elite 🏆 in Dendermonde:
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) January 5, 2025
🥇 Lucinda Brand 🇳🇱
🥈 Puck Pieterse 🇳🇱 +30s
🥉 Fem van Empel 🇳🇱 +41s #CXWorldCup #FLCS pic.twitter.com/WNVe9BcjA5

Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
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