"The main goal is simply the World Championships" - Fem van Empel explains 'slower' start to 24/25 cyclocross season

Over the entirety of the 2023/24 cyclocross season, Fem van Empel only failed to take victory at two of her races. Already this winter campaign though, the world champion has been defeated on three separate occasions.

The latest of these defeats came on Sunday afternoon at Superprestige Overijse as Lucinda Brand held off Van Empel's late charge to secure the victory. “She attacked at a good moment and it was a bit quiet for us. That was a bit of a shame,” the Team Visma | Lease a Bike star reflected in her post-race interview. “But I have no excuses. I am satisfied with my own race. It was certainly a few percent better than the past few weeks, so I am very happy with that.”

Van Empel also isn't too concerned about the slower start to the season, insisting that this time around, it's all about retaining the Rainbow Jersey. "I am dividing my season very differently this time than last year. The preparation has been very different. The main goal is simply the World Championship," she concludes. "If I am in top form now, then that may still be too early. But there are definitely more competitions coming up that I have also made an intermediate goal of."