Fem van Empel has experienced a breakthrough season, becoming European and World Champion as well as winning the Cyclocross World Cup. A meteoric rise for the 20-year-old sees her at the very top of the cycling world, but former pro and advisor
Paul Herygers has talked about how he's helping her deal with the success appropriately.
"For me, the key is education. And I think you don't just throw away pennies. You will lack them all your life," Herygers told Sporza. Now a commentator, Herygers tells how he advised van Empel to come home after spending the days following Hoogerheide on vacation in Morocco. With the season not over yet, he sees this as an opportunity to develop her professionalism.
With van Empel, Puck Pieterse and Shirin van Anrooij taking over the Elite field this year despite their very young age, it sees a massive amount of success within riders who may struggle to deal with the success that came in such short notice. After her win in Lille yesterday van Empel has conquered the X2O Trofee Badkamers, and Herygers shares what he advised her to do with the prize.
"30,000 euros, you can buy a piece of land with that. Or have a new roof installed. Or you can buy half a hectare of pasture," he said. "In any case, don't buy a car with it. That car loses its value anyway, not all those other things. Well, you can't leave that money behind," he concluded.