Opening 2025 in style! Fem van Empel wins GP Sven Nys, outsprinting Brand after race-long chase
Cyclocross
The first cyclocross race of 2025 was the GP Sven Nys Baal and it delivered! A brilliant race ensured and Fem van Empel took one of her most impressive wins by catching Lucinda Brand at the finish line and winning a very tight sprint.
The weather in Baal was not too bad, but over the winter the ground has become muddier and more difficult to tackle. We have had hence a very difficult and slow race, suited to the climbers and those who withstand the long efforts better in the fifth round of the X2O Badkamers Trofee.
Puck Pieterse took the race lead right at the start of the race as Fem van Empel had a crash, Lucinda Brand was dropped and the rest of the competition was far in the distance. However Brand and her massive engine soon found herself back in the wheel of the Fenix-Deceuninck rider and overtook Pieterse to begin leading the race.
Van Empel eventually made it back to Pieterse and although working together wasn't an option in such course, the two entered the final lap just over 10 seconds behind Brand. It seemed like Brand had it but in the final lap the World Champion showed what she's made of, closing the gap into the finishing straight, and then in an excruciating sprint the Visma rider managed to have a few extra watts to beat Brand in a very tight sprint. Pieterse finished third.
With the second place however, the Dutch national champion has further extended her lead in the cup, which she will win unless something unusual happens in the final rounds. I
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santiagobenites03-01-2025 - Depends, if since the last rider to cancel, yes, if you noticed the other recent abandon, more becomes a valid term.Mistermaumau03-01-2025
- Firstly, hope you recover promptly. No need to do any checking as it’s a hypothetical discussion. Another reason you can’t just add the if that suits your argument is that you then have to factor in everyone else’s ifs for theirs. What if Kwiat hadn’t crashed with Dumoulin on stage 3 when Visma were on the attack. What if Visma’s had changed strategy earlier with a more dangerous Tadej, how would Tadej have fared or ridden if he had led earlier? Primoz is an excellent time trialer, especially with such a climb, it wasn’t to be expected Tadej could knock off 2 minutes on him and the best back then, even he couldn’t have known he’d manage. Until then they’d been very well matched, Primoz still managed to extend his lead somewhat just before the TT. I guess he may have paid a price for it that day?Mistermaumau03-01-2025