Next Saturday will mark six weeks since world champion Fem van Empel last started a cyclocross race. But after barely half a lap in the Koppenbergcross, the Visma | Lease a Bike rider abandoned. She then went to Spain for a training camp, but since then, fans have been waiting for her return. That won’t happen this weekend either.
With the Exact Cross in Kortrijk (Saturday) and the World Cup in Namur (Sunday) on the agenda this weekend, all eyes are on the comebacks of Mathieu van der Poel, Tibor Del Grosso, and Puck Pieterse in cyclocross. They will be in action for the first time this cyclocross season in Namur. National coach Gerben de Knegt again cannot count on Van Empel for that race.
Inquiries with her team Visma | Lease a Bike also offer no prospects. Currently, there is ‘no news’ to share, a spokesperson said. After her disappointing abandonment on the legendary Bult van Melden, Van Empel has stayed out of competition. The week after, it became clear the world champion was not fit enough to participate in the European Championships in Middelkerke.
Mental challenges
Earlier this year, Van Empel suddenly decided to quit road racing. “I honestly didn’t know who I was outside of racing,” she said. At one point, Van Empel wouldn’t even allow herself to eat ice cream. Physical issues took their toll, leaving her mentally exhausted as well. The summer months were therefore dedicated to ‘recovery and self-discovery.’
