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Fem Van Empel (Jumbo-Visma) continued her domination of international cyclocross on Sunday, winning round two the UCI World Cup in Maasmechelen, Belgium. The world champion pulled clear with Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck) on the opening lap, initially gapping her in the sandpit and then establishing a decisive advantage when the latter crashed on lap two.
Alvarado was forced to change her shoe and ended up in a battle for second with Aniek van Alphen (Cyclocross Reds), later ceding a little ground with another tumble. She ultimately secured the runner-up slot, 1:28 behind Van Empel, and 14 seconds ahead of Van Alphen.
Van Empel dismissed any talk that it was an easy win.
“Today was quite hard, especially the first lap. My start was good and it went well, but the feeling was not great on the first lap. But after the second lap it went quite well. I am happy with the rest of the race.”
She looked clearly the strongest but said that Alvarado’s fall made a difference in the race.
“Ceylan was very strong today and it was sad that she had a problem she is in good condition. Unluckily she had some problems, but she is ready for Europeans,” she said.
She and Luxembourg champion Marie Schreiber (Tormans Cyclo Cross Team) had the best start to the race, going into the first corner together. A crash by Manon Bakker (Crelan – Corendon), Annemarie Worst (Cyclocross Reds) and Kristýna Zemanová (Brilon Racing TeamMB) complicating things for those trying to stay in contact, but Alvarado was initially able to match Van Empel when she made her move.
She was however gapped in the sandpit soon afterwards and while she was just one second back beginning lap two, she hit the deck and lost ground. Van Alphen had been 10 seconds behind her at the start of the lap and was very close after the accident, overtaking Alvarado when she had to stop to change a shoe in the pits.
The duo battled for second place, with Alvarado moving clear again and beginning the next lap 0:37 behind Van Empel and a further three in front of Van Alphen. Inge Van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) was best of the rest at that point, sitting fourth, 1:12 back.
“Today I felt quite good,” Alvarado later explained. “But I crashed on the second lap and Van Empel rode away. That was the end of the story today.
“I crashed quite hard. My knee was open and my shoe broke. I had quite some pain for one and a half laps. So I had to do it really easy. Then I could start to race again, but it was already done.”
She put in a big effort on lap four to try to get back on terms with Van Empel, but the World Cup leader was on a storming run and began the penultimate lap one minute ahead.
Alvarado lost further ground starting the off-camber section, losing her front wheel momentarily and enabling Van Alphen to get back up to her. The tumble also caused her saddle to move sideways, prompting a change of bike very soon afterward in the pits.
She rejoined Van Alphen and once again dropped her, looking powerful. Van Empel was in a different class out front, though, shrugging off increasingly wet conditions and gliding over the course. She made one final bike change on the last lap before racing on to the finish, punching the air as she landed her second consecutive World Cup victory of the 23/24 season.
Alvarado was 1:28 behind at the line with Van Alphen a further 0:14 back, taking her first World Cup podium.
Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado of The Netherlands and Team Alpecin-Deceuninck on second place, race winner Fem Van Empel of The Netherlands and Team Jumbo-Visma and Aniek Van Alphen and Team Cyclocross Reds of The Netherlands on third place pose on the podium ceremony after the 2nd UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Maasmechelen 2023 – Women’s Elite on October 29, 2023 in Maasmechelen, Belgium. (Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images)
“Fem is the best at the moment, but it is nice to battle for a podium spot,” Van Alphen later said. “So I am very happy.”
Van der Heijden held off Schreiber for fourth place, 2:00 in arrears, while Bentveld completed the top six.
The next World Cup is in Dendermonde, Belgium on November 12, one week after the European championships in Pontchâteau, France.
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