Four for Fem: van Empel keeps perfect 2022-23 World Cup record

Fem van Empel came out on top in a thrilling three-way World Cup scrap on Sunday’s dry new course with mining pit wheel sentinals in Maasmechelen, Belgium. Van Empel has claimed all four of the first elite women’s races of the 2022-2023 series. It was Dutch youth crew day as the podium was made up of three 20 year olds from the Netherlands. The top Canadian was Sidney McGill.

You can watch the 2022-2023 UCI Cyclocross World Cup at FloBikes.

Earlier in the day Canada’s Ava Holmgren took third in the Junior women’s race, with sister Isabella 11th. Ava is up to third in the Junior women’s category, 33 points adrift of leader Lauren Molengraaf.

Lucinda Brand was still out healing a broken hand, but Marianne Vos started her first World Cup race. After three straight wins van Empel led Marianne Worst by 39 points at the top of the table. Worst had her worst World Cup of the season on Sunday.

The Canadian contingent was the same as last week in Tabor: Sidney McGill and Christiane Bilodeau.

French rider Helene Clauzel nabbed the hole shot on Lap 1, leading onto the first steep, congesting bank. Van Empel moved to the front. World champion Vos was the caboose of a nine-rider train. The World Cup leader had a little gap halfway through the first circuit. Puck Pieterse grabbed her wheel. Pieterse then distanced the others, crossing the line of the first 3.25-km lap in 8:06. McGill was 29th and Bilodeau 58th.

Puck continued to run amuck at the beginning of Lap 2. Van Empel, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado and Shirin van Anrooij made up the closest chase group. Pieterse’s stall on a little climb helped van Empel sew it up. McGill was at 31st.

Alvarado had to play catch up on Lap 3 of 7. Denise Betsema and Kata Blanka Vas were the closest riders to the leading quartet. Van Empel, Pieterse and van Anrooij dropped Alvarado and crossed the line 11 seconds ahead of Alvarado and Betsema.

Van Anrooij was in danger of losing contact with the others on Lap 4. She tried to push clear as Betsema closed in.

Van Anrooij continued her raid into the start of Lap 5, but she couldn’t resist the efforts of van Empel and Pieterse. Betsema, who came as close as 6 seconds to the trio, started to fade back. Heading into the penultimate lap, it was clear that, barring a mechanical or wreck, the trio would comprise the day’s podium. Pieterse spent most of the circuit in Position 3.

Who would attack on the bell lap? Pieterse grabbed the reins. Behind, Vos started to wriggle her way forward and would finish sixth. Van Empel tried to dump her breakmates and then didn’t let Pieterse pass on the left. The three 20 year olds kept swapping positions. Before the sand pit van Empel accelerated to distance the others and never looked back.

In placing fourth, Betsema is now the rider closest to van Empel in the World Cup standings, a whopping 72 points back.

The fifth round is on November 13 in Beekse Bergen, the Netherlands.

2022-2023 UCI ‘cross World Cup #4 Maasmechelen
1) Fem van Empel (The Netherlands/Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) 54:39
2) Puck Pieterse (The Netherlands/Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:04
3) Shirin van Anrooij (The Netherlands/Baloise Trek Lions) s.t.
39) Sidney McGill (Canada)
54) Christiane Bilodeau (Canada)