Dominant Van Empel crushes the competition in first World Cup race after just a few laps

The Cyclocross World Cup kicked off on Sunday with a sand race in Antwerp. The course along the Scheldt River featured several challenging sandy sections. Van Empel, the big favorite, had already won the previous two editions of this race. Coming off a dominant win at the Exact Cross in Kortrijk, she faced tougher competition in Antwerp, including fellow Dutch riders Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado and Lucinda Brand. However, Alvarado admitted before the race that she had been feeling unwell earlier in the week.

Luxembourg's Schreiber got off to her usual fast start, taking the lead, followed closely by Laura Verdonschot and Van Empel. Alvarado misjudged the first corner and lost several positions, while Brand also had a less-than-ideal start.

Schreiber had managed to create a gap over Verdonschot and Van Empel early on, but the latter wasn’t about to let that situation last. With a powerful acceleration, Van Empel dropped Verdonschot and closed in on Schreiber. By the end of the first lap, the duo had a 13-second lead over Annemarie Worst, Sara Casasola, and Verdonschot.

Schreiber managed to hold Van Empel’s pace, though it was clear she was struggling. It seemed only a matter of time before the world champion turned up the pressure. That moment came on a sandy section. Van Empel cut through the sand effortlessly, opening a significant gap on the Luxembourg rider. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider was now in full control.

By the end of the second lap, Van Empel’s lead over Schreiber had grown to ten seconds. Meanwhile, Brand and Alvarado were working their way up to third and fifth, respectively. However, the gap to Van Empel remained large. Brand was 20 seconds behind, with Alvarado trailing by 35 seconds.

Van Empel’s recent training camp clearly paid off. With apparent ease, she extended her lead over Brand to half a minute and beyond. Brand looked secure in second place, as Schreiber was unable to close the gap. The Luxembourg rider, however, seemed poised to secure a podium spot, maintaining a 20-second buffer over Alvarado and Casasola.

With powerful pedal strokes and the composure of someone completing a hard training session, Van Empel flawlessly handled the final laps of the race. She secured her fifth win of the season and her fourth consecutive victory, cementing her dominance in cyclocross. Brand finished second, and Schreiber rounded out the podium.