Suspense gone after one lap: Van Empel's return ends with impressive victory in Kortrijk

The Urban Cross is an atypical cyclo-cross because, as the name suggests, it is set in an urban area of Kortrijk. Last year, the Urban Cross in Kortrijk was dominated from start to finish by Fem van Empel, which was in line with her impressive performance throughout the season. The Dutch rider took a convincing victory with a 26-second lead over Lucinda Brand, while Puck Pieterse secured third place, more than a minute behind.

There was a lot less competition for Van Empel this year. For example, brand and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado were absent, and Pieterse, on the other hand, only starts with cyclo-cross in mid-December. Van Empel thus started in Kortrijk as the absolute top favorite. The world champion found herself around fourth position after the start. Van der Heijden, as we know her, started energetically and thus entered the field first.

After just under four minutes of racing, Van Empel took control. Initially, Van der Heijden and Alicia Franck could keep the wheel, but they would not hold on for long. Towards the end of the first lap, Van Empel accelerated again, and as a result, Van der Heijden and Franck could not follow anymore.

The cyclo-cross in Kortrijk consequently turned out to be a true one-woman show. The difference in level between Van Empel and the rest of the field was simply too significant. The Visma | LaB rider performed excellently and did not have to test her strength. In any case, the legs were well warmed up for Sunday's first World Cup in Antwerp. There, Van Empel usually faces stiff competition from Alvarado and Brand.

The battle for the remaining podium spots was more suspenseful. While Van der Heijden and Franck initially rode in second and third place, Franck soon had to let the Dutch rider go. Norbert Riberolle, on the other hand, made the jump to Van der Heijden and interfered in the battle for the podium.

Of the two riders from Crelan, Van der Heijden initially made the better impression. She performed by far the most of the lead and even got Norbert Riberolle into trouble at times. However, in the last phase, it appeared that Van der Heijden had used her strength a little too much because when Norbert Riberolle accelerated in the closing stages, the Dutch rider had no answer ready. Consequently, second place went to Norbert Riberolle, and Van der Heijden had to be satisfied with third place.