Fem van Empel was already the best in the world three times in cyclocross, but because of mental problems she has temporarily stopped. The 22-year-old top athlete from Den Dungen is now focusing on a different branch of sport, namely running. With success, because Van Empel was the fastest woman on the 5 kilometers on Sunday afternoon during the Vestingloop in Den Bosch.
Of the 1597 participants in the 5 kilometers, she finished ninth. Lars van Aalst from Den Bosch was the fastest, Fem van Empel was the fastest woman with her ninth place. She recorded a time of 17 minutes and 44 seconds.
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She already proved that Van Empel has Talent for running at the end of April. Then she was on the highest step of the stage during the Hogebergloop on Texel. She ran the 7.5 kilometers in a time of 30.34.
When the resident of Den Dungen returns to cyclocross is unclear. On March 20 of this year she announced that she will stop temporarily. “In recent years I have made an incredible journey, with three world and European titles at the highest level in cyclocross. This has requested a lot of dedication and daily commitment. After consulting the team, we decided that a break of races is the best move for my mental health and well-being.”
Her employer does not put down a deadline and gives Van Empel all the time to recover: “We put her health first before she returns to the competition. We will continue to support her in this process and wish her a speedy recovery.”
The Vestingloop is a large walking and running event in Den Bosch and is organized by the international company Golazo Events. Just like the ASML Marathon in Eindhoven. Last year the Bossche event had 10,000 participants and this year the registrations flew over the counter.