The final battle for the Cyclo-Cross World Cup ended in a double Brabant victory on Sunday in Hoogerheide. Fem van Empel won among the women. For the 21-year-old world champion from Sint-Michielgestel, it was her seventeenth victory of the season. Mathieu van der Poel lived up to his role as favorite among the men by winning for the twelfth time – in the rainbow jersey.
Van Empel and Van der Poel will defend their world title in Tabor, Czech Republic, next weekend and can do so with confidence.
The World Cup was not a prey for the two top performers. For the women, Rotterdam’s Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado captured this; In the men’s category the trophy went to the Belgian Eli Iserbyt.
Final round decision
Van der Poel struck in the last lap of the cross, held in sunny conditions. An increase in pace was too much for the competition. At first he kept a low profile. “It was a tough effort,” said the winner. “It had to be done in a different way than in Hamme. My first attempt was too short, in the second I went all the way to the beams. It is always nice to win, but today it was completely special here. Also,” he said afterwards against the Belgian Sporza, “because I had to fight for it and I drove a bit tactically.”
With what he described as ‘sour legs’, things did not go smoothly for Van der Poel on his home course. He had had a tough training week on the road and rode two races in the weekend before the World Championships. “I’m not as fresh now as I was earlier this winter, but I hope to have my best legs in Tabor.”
It was the 38th World Cup victory for the 29-year-old driver, who can be quite relaxed about the World Cup next Sunday in Tabor.
‘Up the stairs as quickly as possible’
Van Empel increased the pace immediately after the start and initially only saw Dutch champion Lucinda Brand follow. Puck Pieterse, normally often near the world champion, had been ill and was not having a good day. In the final phase, the Hungarian Kata Blanka Vas joined the leading pair. Van Empel placed her attack on the stairs shortly before the finish. “Blanka and Lucinda were very strong and I knew I had to be the first to turn onto the asphalt,” the winner looked back. “All I could do was run up those stairs as fast as I could.” Second place went to the Hungarian, Brand finished third.
Fem van Empel will defend her title at the World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic, on Saturday. “It obviously feels good to win twice a week before the World Cup. It has been an incredible season so far, I hope that Saturday will be the icing on the cake,” the 21-year-old top favorite said in the flash interview. She travels to Tabor early in the week. “I’m going to explore the course well and then it’s a matter of staying healthy and hoping that everything falls into place on Saturday.”
Van Empel had won a cross in Hamme, Belgium last Saturday. “I chose to attack because I wanted to ride at my own pace. Halfway through the race I heard the speaker announce the time differences. From that moment on I started thinking about Sunday’s cross. That will also be very tough,” she said at the time. .
YOU MAY ALSO FIND THIS INTERESTING:
Read here about Van Empel’s victory in Hamme, Belgium
Cyclist Fem van Empel misses social life: ‘Sometimes quite lonely’