"The jersey number thirteen apparently brought bad luck today" - Fem van Empel saves the day but is hampered by crashes at Zonhoven

Zonhoven was a roller-coaster race for Fem van Empel. Right on the opening minutes of the race she crashed hard down the famous sand dune of the World Cup race and risked serious injuries. Despite that, she managed to finish the race on the podium, but was unable to fight for a victory.

“I felt very strong during the race, but the jersey number thirteen apparently brought bad luck today. The first lap didn't go as planned,” van Empel said in a post-race interview. “But I also showed my strength in this race. I am very happy that I was able to finish third.”

“I think I was a bit too enthusiastic, I wanted to be the first to enter the famous Kuil. But I fell. Then I tried to regain my focus. In the following laps it went well again, but yes, I am happy with the result," she described. She finished third behind compatriots and fellow 21-year old supertalents Shirin van Anrooij and Puck Pieterse - the latter closing the World Cup standings gap, however very little.

After falling in both sand descents on the opening lap, it became obvious that it was a race of survival. However, she thrived in that, using her good form and power to regain positions through the field in the tough tracl. With the World Cup win almost secured, the national and World Championships will begin to become more important priorities in what's left of the cyclocross season.