Dominant Van Empel Besançon could 'just' ride her own pace in Besançon: "That was enough"

Who else but Fem van Empel could dominate the World Cup race in Besançon? The world champion from Visma | Lease a Bike took the lead in the first lap and never relinquished it. She crossed the finish line with a comfortable margin in a race that also saw her teammate Marianne Vos return to cyclo-cross.

Afterward, Van Empel was particularly complimentary of the fans lining the course, who braved the cold to cheer on the riders. "It was a fun race. The crowd was amazing—so many people," she said in a flash interview. "The course was very slippery, so it was definitely an advantage to ride my own race. On a course like this, it’s crucial to stick to your own lines. That’s why leading from the front and having no one in your way is such an advantage. It was perfect."

The 22-year-old world champion had hoped to dominate from start to finish, and she did exactly that. "I had a very good start. From there, I just rode my own pace, and that was enough," she explained matter-of-factly. "Everything went according to plan. I made very few mistakes, which I think was really important." Lucinda Brand ultimately finished second, 37 seconds behind the winner.

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Teammate Marianne Vos finished fifth in Besançon.

Seven wins in nine races: Van Empel nearly unstoppable

This marks the eighth victory of the season for the Brabant native and her second in a row, following her World Cup race win in Gavere on Boxing Day. Out of her last nine races, she’s only failed to win twice. Van Empel is shaping up to be the woman to beat at the World Championships in Liévin. "I’m in great form. It can always get better, but I don’t know if it actually can right now. Still, I’ll keep working hard for it," she said.

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