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Fem van Empel (Jumbo-Visma) continent her 100% report within the 2023-2024 cyclo-cross season, popping out on prime within the World Cup spherical in Antwerp on Saturday.
It wasn’t a whole procession from begin to end, as has typically been the case over the World Champion’s earlier 10 victories this season, with Lucinda Model (Baloise Trek Lions) preserving her trustworthy all through.
Model held Van Empel to a bonus of round 10 seconds after she’d damaged free within the second half of the race, however no mistake was forthcoming on the ultimate laps.
Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) had been with the pair of them on the half-way stage however pale after which made errors in direction of the top, taking the ultimate podium place practically a minute down.
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck) positioned fourth to retain the general lead of the World Cup collection.
“My begin was fairly good from the second row, and throughout the race I felt actually robust,” stated Van Empel.
“I missed a bit of bit that I push myself to the restrict due to the final weeks, so for myself it was a very robust race, however I felt actually assured throughout the race, so I’m very pleased.”
Bunny-hopping makes the distinction
The riders coated six laps of an Antwerp course that featured sand on the banks of the River Scheldt, together with quite a lot of inland twists and turns.
One decisive characteristic, nonetheless, proved to be a set of wood obstacles, which pressured most riders to dismount however which Van Empel managed to persistently hop.
“It was actually laborious to beat her as a result of she was leaping the barrier and right here that was actually decisive,” stated Model.
“We had been the identical energy possibly however then she will get that hole and might preserve it.”
Model made the early operating however Van Empel was quickly along with her, as Pieterse and Alvarado lagged a bit of behind. The main two traded blows on the second lap as they pulled additional away, however then Pieterse launched a spirited fight-back on lap 3 earlier than bridging the hole to make it a number one trio simply previous the half-way mark.
It didn’t final lengthy, nonetheless, as Van Empel launched a vicious acceleration that took her clear. Model couldn’t maintain on, and Pieterse appeared to pay for her earlier efforts because the assault got here earlier than she’d had an opportunity to correctly get well.
By the top of lap 4, Van Empel had already opened a lead of 10 seconds over Model, with Pieterse at 17 seconds. Model stabilised the state of affairs and held the hole at that 10-second mark on the ultimate two laps. She might virtually all the time see Van Empel, however was in actuality counting on a mistake, which by no means got here.
Van Empel safely completed the job to proceed this exceptional run of outcomes, this being her eleventh win from eleventh races, and three from three World Cup appearances.
Within the World Cup total standings, Alvarado stays on the prime of the standings on 257 factors, with Model transferring nearer on 190. Mannon Bakker is third on 161, with Van Empel down in eighth given her restricted appearances.
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