Fem van Empel from Den Dungen Aast on a World Cup Hattrick. In Liévin, Northern, the rider tries to get the world title in cyclocross on Saturday afternoon for the third year in a row. That will certainly not be easy, because it did not happen automatically in recent weeks and the competition is great.
“I’m going to do everything,” Van Empel tells the NOS. But: “There are many girls who cycle around at a high level. If you are a little less, the result is also disappointing,” she is wary of the competitors.
She will pay extra attention to countrymen Lucinda Brand, Puck Pieterse and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado. Besides Van Empel, they are the big favorites in an orange shirt. Marianne Vos from Babyloniënbroek is missing due to a calf injury.
Also read: Marianne Vos drops out injured for World Cup cyclocross
Reigning world champion Van Empel won in Benidorm, but the last two weekends were difficult. She is not very worried about it, she says one day before the competition.
In Hoogerheide she went down (fourth behind World Cup winner Brand) and in Maasmechelen Van Empel slid twice.
The Dutch national coach Gerben de Knegt provides a nice battle between his riders. “We really have a lot of good ladies, everyone knows that. Lucinda has shown that she is in shape and this course is her. And both Fem and Puck can do this very well. It will be close together. And I really think that VAS will play a role in the whole. “
“The strongest here will win the course. It will be little tactical,” De Knegt predicts. It is a wonderful but difficult course, according to the federal coach.
“Left and right are many stones in the surface. When a stone is exposed, everyone drives it and you can get a lot of leaky tires,” the Knegt predicts.
“Don’t underestimate difficult points.”
“I love it,” says Van Empel. “There are a few difficult points, we should not underestimate that.” The big hill for example, with a cunning oblique side.
Van Empel inspected himself in the section. “It is good to see what you are waiting for the exploration. It is good to test a number of lines to know which track you should take. It is a slanted edge and the sink is deep.”