A week before the start of her cyclocross season in Ruddervoorde, Fem van Empel spoke with the press. The three-time world champion is going to fully focus on cyclocross again. Next Saturday, she begins a winter that will be busier than in previous years, but the still only 23-year-old Van Empel warns that she will make healthy and conscious choices.
Van Empel announced a month ago that she feels ready to race again after having a physically and mentally difficult summer—without road races. The Dutch rider decided to refocus on the discipline closest to her heart.
"I am simply a cyclocrosser now. That means I won’t be active on the road much anymore. If I do race on the road, it will always be as preparation for cyclocross," was the clear statement Van Empel gave, among others, to Cyclingflash.
For the world champion, this was a decision she did not take lightly. "I’m looking for some fun and don’t really have a particular ambition on the road anymore. I’ve come to the realization that I only want to do things that I genuinely enjoy a lot. Never say never; I’ll never race on the road again, but for now it’s just a sensible choice to focus on one thing."
Van Empel barely raced on the road – photo: Cor Vos
"Cyclocross is actually a full sport on its own, because in principle you are involved in competition for about half a year," said the Dutch rider. "If I were to add road racing, I’d be active almost year-round. Then you won’t find any rest anywhere. Even during cyclocross, I will keep making choices. I’m human, not a robot, so I’m not going to contest every classification. And I don’t aim to either."
How much she will race is still not 100% set. "What is clear is that I definitely want to do more cyclocross than in previous years. Those will mainly be the races where my heart is—races that I enjoy. I will certainly contest some classifications, but we’ll mostly see and carefully monitor everything to keep balance. And not to want too much, so to speak."
Not racing road races anymore—could that negatively affect her development? "Of course, that impacts my preparation. Other years, I always raced road events for intensity and to build toughness. This year, that was almost nothing. But I don’t think it will have much effect on how I experienced my preparation," Van Empel said.
"I’m just going to enjoy it to the fullest," Van Empel says. "Something I probably did way too little in the past years. I really like it: the constant variety, there’s a bit of running in there, explosiveness, and the conditions can make every cyclocross race different. Tire pressure plays a role depending on the course conditions. And you have the family aspect of cyclocross: you arrive with your camper and see all the people who come to the race with the same mindset."
Van Empel is the reigning world cyclocross champion – photo: Cor Vos
Her team Visma | Lease a Bike initially signed the talent as a road rider. How did the Dutch team deal with Van Empel’s decision? "It was obviously difficult. If I suddenly say I actually want to stop being a road cyclist, while they recruited me for the road, it’s definitely a bombshell. But I’m very grateful that they still support me in cyclocross."
Van Empel still has big ambitions. "I’m just going to dive straight back into the first race. I hear more and more people hoping it’s cyclocross season soon. That they’ll be very happy to sit back in front of the TV to watch again. I don’t have to, but I’m very happy to be back, and my ambition remains to win. I give my utmost effort in every race and do everything for it."
Fem van EmpelNo races scheduled
