"Some people forget how young I am" - Fem van Empel surprised with Overijse victory gap

8 wins in a row and so far unbeatable in the 2023-2024 season. Fem van Empel dominated the Overijse Druivencross to kick off the Superprestige Cup in the lead.

“I felt okay today, so I just tried to have a good race. I could only have dreamed that the lead was so big," the World Champion said in a post-race interview. “Maybe that rest did me good. Maybe I should do that more often. Take it easy during the week and then go all out on the weekend," she says. On the very first lap, with 3 minutes of racing, van Empel attacked in a descent and immediately distanced the rest of the field - never to be caught again.

After Beringen and Waterloo, in similar fashion van Empel won now in Overijse. "I mainly organized the race well. On some parts I took it a little slower, while on other parts I tried to speed up. I think there was a good balance.” Ultimately, it was a gap of almost a minute over Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado.

“We have agreed within the team that I should mainly listen to how I feel about myself," he adds, thinking of taking some rest soon after the European Championships. "Some people forget how young I am. It is also very difficult to say to yourself: I will do a little less. But I have the right people around me who monitor this well. That is very nice."