Who can challenge 'Femtastic' Van Empel at the European Cyclocross Championships? "If she's competing, you're basically fighting for second place"

On Saturday, November 4th, the European Cyclocross Championship for elite women will take place in Pontchâteau. When it comes to the favorite status, one individual clearly stands out in Western France: Fem van Empel, a 21-year-old rider from Jumbo-Visma. She has won every cross where she has been at the start. It seems there is simply no limit to what this North Brabant native can achieve, a sentiment shared by several other top cyclists, as reported by IDLProCycling.com.

Van Empel has been a dominant force among elite women since last season and requires no further introduction. Following her World Cup victory in Maasmechelen, this somewhat reserved Dutch rider maintains a flawless record. At times, it appears almost effortless. Additionally, her main competitors, Puck Pieterse and Shirin van Anrooij, have had limited opportunities to compete. "I know it's quite remarkable, and I'm savoring every moment of it. There will come a time when it's less, but I'm prepared for that as well," commented the world champion after her victory in Belgian Limburg.

Bakker bummed about last-minute registration of Van Empel in Night of Woerden

There are several female cyclists currently displaying unwavering determination, yet they still struggle to come close to victory, all thanks to Van Empel, who naturally garners praise from her fellow cyclo-cross competitors. Manon Bakker expressed her sentiments to IDLProCycling.com at the start of this cyclo-cross season, saying, "Explosiveness is just one aspect where I may lack some talent, and the younger riders are very proficient at it." The Corelan-Corendon rider was referring to Van Empel, Pieterse, and Van Anrooij. She also mentioned her hopes to secure a podium finish in at least one World Cup race this season, although achieving that goal is undoubtedly challenging with these three superstar riders. As it unfolded, in the first World Cup race in Waterloo, Van Empel and Pieterse clearly dominated, and in the subsequent races, Van Empel continued to outpace the competition.

Before the Superprestige race in Ruddervoorde, Bakker revisited Van Empel's supremacy. Van Empel had been a last-minute addition to the start list for the Night of Woerden and immediately took the lead. Bakker reflected, "When Fem joined Woerden at the last minute, I was a bit disappointed. The starting list featured a highly competitive group of female cyclists. That proved to be the case, except for the fact that Fem eventually participated and finished a minute ahead of the rest." She looked back on her second-place finish in the Utrecht race with satisfaction, saying, "It's not that my second place made me feel worse about Fem's last-minute entry. I was already pleased with the second place, as it meant I was the first among the chasers. That was a significant achievement for me."

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Van Alphen and Van der Heijden look mostly to themselves

Aniek van Alphen, a consistently strong presence in women's cycling today, shared her thoughts on Van Empel's "Femtastic" dominance ahead of the West Flanders cross. "You just know that when Fem is in the race, you're essentially battling for second place. It's going to be tough if she's there. Nevertheless, when you line up at the start, it's with the intention to win, as she can also have an off day or encounter bad luck. You never know, of course. On the other hand, it's all part of the game and the sport," aptly described the 24-year-old cyclist from Cyclocross Reds.

In a conversation we had with Bakker in mid-September, shortly thereafter, we also had the opportunity to speak with Corelan-Corendon team leader Inge van der Heijden. She expressed her willingness to compete against 'The Big Three,' with Van Empel being the central figure among them. "They are, of course, a bit younger than me. Their rapid progress is evident. In my case, I've taken smaller, gradual steps in my development. I hope to narrow the gap with these ladies. Mentally, dealing with the dominance of these three wasn't particularly challenging for me. I believe you should always focus on your own progress and not constantly compare yourself to others. Nevertheless, it doesn't diminish the remarkable achievements of these girls in any way. They excel tremendously," she emphasized.

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About an hour and a half before the start of the Druivencross in Overijse, we had another conversation with Van der Heijden, who would later secure a somewhat unexpected third place in the "Mother of all Crosses." The rider from Schaijk revealed that she initially approached the race with the mindset of "I'll see what's possible behind Van Empel and Pieterse." After finishing in third place, she commented, "Being able to compete for a podium position here feels incredibly satisfying."

Alvarado seemed to come close a few times to Van Empel, the top favorite at the European Championships

Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado appears to be Van Empel's closest competitor at the moment. The 25-year-old cyclist from Rotterdam, racing for Alpecin-Deceuninck, managed to secure victories in Beringen, Waterloo, and Overijse (with Pieterse also in Waterloo). In the absence of FvE, she triumphed in Ruddervoorde but had to concede her superiority to the Jumbo-Visma rider in Maasmechelen the following day. Alvarado herself is confident that on a good day, she can certainly challenge Van Empel. She stated, "She obviously stands out, so when she's not in the race, it's up to us to set a strong pace." After finishing as the runner-up in Ruddervoorde, she added, "I could keep up with Fem quite well, except for the fact that I had a fall in the second lap. I didn't get the impression that she would simply let me go. Unfortunately, it turned out differently."

Van Empel, Bakker, Van Alphen, Van der Heijden, and Alvarado will all represent the same team in Pontchâteau, the Dutch selection (which also includes Denise Betsema and Annemarie Worst). Van Empel is the rider to beat, and the possibility of an all-Dutch podium is very likely. The question remains, who will take the second and third positions? To conclude with the words of Van Alphen, "You never know."