Eleven heaven: van Empel extends winning streak at Antwerp World Cup
There's no stopping the world champion this season
World champion Fem van Empel extended her win streak to 11 races in the ninth round of the 2023-2024 UCI Cross World Cup on a sandy, windy course in Antwerp, Belgium on Saturday. Van Empel dispatched Lucinda Brand and Puck Pieterse on the fourth lap to triumph. Van Empel now has a hat trick of World Cup victories this season. Ceyline del Carmen Alvarado kept the series lead, but didn’t podium for the first time in 13 races this season. Siobhan Kelly was the top Canadian in 50th.
Earlier in the day, Canada’s Rafaelle Carrier placed sixth in the junior women’s race.
The situation before Saturday
Alvarado was the only rider with a 2023-2034 World Cup hat trick, while van Empel and Brand both had taken braces. Alvarado held a commanding 75-point lead over Brand at the top of the table. There was no Maghalie Rochette nor Sidney McGill in Gavare, but Siobhan Kelly, Madeleine Pollack, Katelyn Walcroft, Mia de Martin and Christian Bilodeau comprised the Canadian contingent in a field of 68.
Marie Schreiber snagged the hole shot on Lap 1. Brand took her wheel and Fem van Empel moved up from the second row to Position 3. Brand took over the lead. Brand and van Empel surged clear of the others after the second sand section. Pieterse clawed her way to third. Van Empel took the reins. Kelly was top Canadian at 57th. The duo was eight second clear of Pieterse, Alvarado and Inge van der Heijden after one circuit.
Brand and van Empel went shoulder to shoulder before the first sand section on Lap 2 of 6. Pieterse dropped the other chasers to beat on alone. Kelly had moved up one spot on the second lap.
Pieterse seemed to be making inroads on the duo’s gap on Lap 3, so Brand kept pushing. Pieterse stayed on the bike for the planks. Kelly finished the third lap in 52nd.
Pieterse made the junction at the start of Lap 4 but she soon started to lag and had to toil to keep up. Van Empel made a move on the off-camber section. Brand scrambled to close the gap. There were lapped riders getting in the way of van Empel, Brand and Pieterse. The world champion’s gap to Brand was 10 seconds and 17 seconds to Pieterse at the line. Kelly was 50th.
The gaps between van Empel, Brand, Pieterse and Alvarado were fixed on the penultimate lap.
The bell lap was uneventful, as van Empel had the day wrapped despite Brand’s herculean efforts.
The next round is Boxing Day in Gavere.
2023-2024 X2O UCI World Cup, Round 9, Antwerp
1) Fem van Empel (The Netherlands/Jumbo-Visma) 52:00
2) Lucinda Brand (The Netherlands/Baloise Trek Lions) +0:18
3) Puck Pieterse (The Netherlands/Fenix-Deceuninck) +0:55
50) Siobhan Kelly (Canada)
60) Katelyn Walcroft (Canada)
62) Madeleine Pollack (Canada)
63) Mia de Martin (Canada)
DNF Christiane Bilodeau (Canada)
