Van Empel fights her way to second place in Superprestige Ruddervoorde
Fem van Empel secured second place in the Superprestige race in Ruddervoorde. The Dutch world champion, who claimed her first win of the season just a week ago in Beringen, was bested by Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado after an intense and thrilling race.
Throughout the event, a fierce battle unfolded between Van Empel, Alvarado, Lucinda Brand, and Sara Casasola. In the final stages, Van Empel made a brief acceleration, but Brand countered, launching a solo attack. However, Alvarado eventually overtook Brand. Van Empel won the sprint for second place in the end.
“My focus wasn’t quite where it needed to be,” Van Empel admitted afterward. “That’s not ideal, but it can happen. I don’t really have a good explanation for it. I’ve been training hard lately, and today I just didn’t feel fully fresh. Ceylin was definitely the strongest today, and she deserved the win. I gave it my all, and I’m happy I was able to come back into the race and secure second place.”
Van Empel has two more cyclocross races scheduled for October. She will compete in the evening cross in Woerden this Tuesday, followed by a race in Overijse, Belgium, next Sunday.
