Fem Van Empel seems to be on a roll at the moment. The Dutch cyclist has continued her merry season by raking up yet another victory, this time at the X20 Trofee Hamme-Flandriencross. With this triumph, Empel has now clinched her 16th win of the season, proving her mettle as one of the best cyclists in the circuit at the moment. The 21-year-old locked into her aggressive self right from the start of the race. Her dominant form was pretty much evident when she whizzed past the others and maintained an almost unattainable lead. 

So what was the lead that Empel maintained that was so unachievable for the others? As the Dutch athlete secured her jubilance, let us have a closer look at how her road to glory looked like in Belgium. 

Fem Van Empel on top of cycling clouds

When the race started, the Visma-Lease a Bike racer probably did not want anyone else to put up a show but her. Likewise, she immediately pressed the foot on the pedal and darted away right from the word go. As time went by, Empel looked ominous in her quest. She had a staggering lead of eleven seconds after the end of the first round. What’s more? The Dutch cyclist managed to keep up with the same intensity and doubled her lead to twenty-five seconds. This was pretty much the nail in the coffin for others. 

Speaking on her performance, Empel stated that her energy levels were high and she had a positive attitude right from the start. Empel revealed the secret to her success, “I just wanted to ride at my own pace.” She also shed light on the rugged nature of the terrain saying that riding solo would be advantageous under such circumstances. While being asked about her almost impossible lead, Empel acknowledged by saying, “Halfway through the race, I heard the speaker announce the time difference. From then on it was just a matter of keeping a good pace.” 

Indeed, Empel did keep her pace and did not once falter for a moment until the very end. Lucinda Brand from Baloise Trek Lions and Manon Bakker from Crelan-Corendon were adjudged second and third among the lot respectively. The fact that all the other cyclists could not catch up to the speed of Empel even after an hour of cycling goes on to show the sheer lopsidedness of the race. 

However, Empel is not sitting back with 16 wins under her belt. She is gearing up to add some more accolades to her crown jewel. 

Fem Van Empel eyes World Championship gold 

The 21-year-old has her eyes fixated on the World Championship. Immediately after winning her 16th title, Empel shifted her focus to the upcoming race in Hoogerheide. This would be a perfect launchpad to test her mettle against formidable opponents like Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado and Puck Pieterse. 

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A run against them will surely give Empel a clear understanding of where she stands in her quest of defending the World Champion’s crown. Citing the race as a steep challenge, she said, “At the end, I was already thinking about tomorrow’s race. That one is very tough.” 

Thus, whether Empel would continue her dream run is a question that can only be answered in the future. 

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