Team Visma | Lease a Bike played an important role during this period. Van Empel was given all the space she needed to reconnect with herself. “The support from the team felt very genuine,” she explains. “They gave me peace of mind and the freedom to set my own course with the message: do what brings you the most joy. I really value that, and I’m happy to pick things up again now.”

The decision to let go of road racing came after a well-considered process. “My motivation and enjoyment on the road were less strong than for cyclocross. Once I made the choice, it immediately felt right. I fully stand behind my decision.”

Van Empel now feels ready to line up again in cyclocross. “What I enjoy the most is the constant variety. No race is ever the same: everything is constantly changing. That makes it both challenging and beautiful. You have to be very flexible, switch quickly, and keep making decisions throughout the race. In cyclocross, I have more control over how the race unfolds, and that really suits me.”

The past few months were also a time of recovery and self-discovery. Physical problems had taken their toll, leaving Van Empel mentally drained as well. She explains that for a long time she mostly only felt like a rider: “I didn’t really know who I was outside of racing anymore.” With the help of a mental coach, medical staff and team management of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, she has learned to reconnect with herself. During this period, she rediscovered the joy of cycling, for example during mountain bike rides with steep descents and long road rides that gave her a new perspective on The Netherlands. But she also found joy in activities outside of cycling.

Van Empel also realized how much fulfillment and joy she finds in both the preparation and the cyclocross itself. At the same time, she understood that she is not only an athlete but also simply a person. “I’ve learned to value myself more as a person, independent of results.” By consciously choosing cyclocross, she can now also take time for rest and relaxation and doesn’t always have to be ‘on’. “In the end, I’ve mostly found myself again and that makes me very happy.”

With her comeback, the Dutchwoman is now fully focused on cyclocross. The goal is to enjoy races and build toward the championships. This weekend, Van Empel will make her first race kilometers at Grand Prix de Fourmies, a road race she is using to regain rhythm and racing feeling. But her eyes are firmly set on cyclocross: “The most important thing is that I’m incredibly excited. I’m just going to dive in and do what I love most,” Van Empel concludes enthusiastically.