10 for 10: Fem van Empel keeps undefeated season alive at X2O Trofee in Herentals

Saturday’s third round of hte X2O Badkamers Trofee was a doozy, with Fem van Empel and Lucinda Brand sprinting it out in Herentals, Belgium, and the World Champion taking her 2023-2024 record to 10 straight victories. The resurgent Brand pushed van Empel all the way on Saturday, but the day’s victor increased her lead in the competition.

The Situation Before Saturday

Winner of the first two rounds, van Empel led Denise Betsema by a hefty 4:15 at the top of the table.

It wasn’t long until the entire field was off the bike and plodding through the mud on Lap 1. Van Empel took the lead, Brand on her six. The latest winner of a World Cup, Manon Bakker, notably rode the planks. Van Empel charged up the long climb, putting some real estate between herself and Brand. Brand came back and took over the front, leading van Empel and Annemarie Worst, with Bakker and Betsema seven seconds back.

Brand eased up at the beginning of Lap 2, so the five Dutch riders came back together. Van Empel pulled them around the athletics track. Brand started to have trouble with one of her pedals. The lap split up the quintet and van Empel was eight seconds clear of Brand, Worst and Betsema by the line.

Betsema lost contact at the start of Lap 3 of 5. Brand tried to chip away at the gap and was only two seconds in arrears going into the penultimate lap, Worst now 14 seconds back. Bakker felt Anna Kay breathing down her neck.

Brand vs van Empel continued on the penultimate lap. Brand forced herself to the front on the track and the two clawed their way up the steep climb. Brand’s feet popped out on the bumpy descent, which caused to van Empel to take evasive action, swerving onto a less-than-ideal line.

Van Empel led into the bell lap, Brand locked on her wheel. Both were smooth in dismounting for the planks. Again they battled to exit the athletics track first. Van Empel won this skirmish and then clambered up the steep hill. The world champion pried open a gap but not a chasm. It was tight going into the final 500 metres and Brand made the junction. But Brand had to dab and latch back on. It came down to a proper sprint in which van Empel prevailed.

The next round is New Years Day, the Sven Nys GP in Baal.

2023-2024 X2O Badkamers Trofee, Round 3, Herentals
1) Fem van Empel (The Netherlands/Jumbo-Visma) 43:21
2) Lucinda Brand (The Netherlands/Baloise Trek Lions) s.t.
3) Annemarie Worst (The Netherlands/Cyclocross Reds) +0:42