"She is no longer her dominant self" - Paul Herygers foresees the end of Fem van Empel's Cyclocross World Championship reign in Lievin

This coming weekend, Rainbow Jerseys will be handed out in Lievin at the 2025 Cyclocross World Championships. Although understandably, much of the pre-meet hype has been around the men's elite race and the showdown between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, it's the women's elite race that could provide the most spectacle as Fem van Empel looks for a third successive world title win.

World champion in 2023 and 2024, there have been times over recent years when Van Empel has looked genuinely unbeatable. This winter though, whilst still successful, taking 10 victories, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike star has also been beaten 9 times. "Fem van Empel is good, very good even, but she is no longer her dominant self," notes Sporza's cyclocross expert Paul Herygers in his pre-World Championship analysis. "She is out of control and the other women have noticed that too."

As such, the fight for the women's Rainbow Jersey looks wide open. "The women have delivered exciting races time and again in recent weeks. I expect that category to be the most exciting this weekend," says Herygers, naming who he believes to be Van Empel's biggest threat. "I immediately think of Lucinda Brand. She is currently incredibly good and smells the chance of a lifetime to become world champion for the second time. Brand will get a circuit at the World Championships that suits her, such as in Dendermonde."

Given Brand's age compared to the likes of Van Empel, Puck Pieterse and Blanka Kata Vas among others, taking a second world title at 35-years-old would be a massive achievement for the Dutch star. "The way Brand is riding now, she is the favourite on Saturday," Herygers declares. "What she achieved in the sand of Ostend 2021, is in my opinion 15% more difficult than what she is presented with in Liévin."

As for the rest of the contenders? "Vas has had an excellent weekend. But if she has to run, that is to her disadvantage. And that also applies to Pieterse. When I say that there is quite a lot of running, I base that solely on the weather forecast," says Herygers. "But imagine that the circuit is still good to ride. In Liévin we are a bit in the slag heap. If you do not sink very deeply into the ground, then it is possible for Vas and Pieterse."

Herygers also notes the possibility of the legendary three-time champ Sanne Cant rolling back the years in her final World Championship appearance. "Cant knows what she's doing and has to show off one more time," he concludes. "I'd say: 'Fuck it, fly in like a lioness and see where you end up.'"