Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike) made it three successive victories on the UCI World Cup Antwerpen, with one other commanding efficiency on the Cyclocross World Cup opener.
Simply as she did yesterday to win the Actual Cross Kortrijk, the world champion spent a lot of the race in entrance alone, having gone clear on the second lap.
Marie Schreiber (SD Worx) )was the one rider to stick with Van Empel for a sustained interval, however made some errors digging deep to attempt to maintain her wheel. She misplaced contact on the second lap, and went on to complete third after being handed by Lucinda Model (Lidl-Trek) in the course of the third lap.
Van Empel described the keys to successful at the moment as “Focus for the entire race, and trip a gradual tempo,” when requested within the post-race interview. “It was fairly laborious at the moment with the wind, and in addition with the sand components. I did an excellent job.”
“The headwind was fairly laborious. Behind me there have been lots of small teams, I saved combating to the end, and I’m actually blissful.”
The efficiency showcased Van Empel in distinctive type as she embarks on her World Cup marketing campaign, and she or he intends to trip the Dublin leg subsequent Sunday and Namur the next fortnight, although will skip Cabras-Sardinia the week in between.
Behind Van Empel in second place was Lucinda Model, who rued a gradual begin.
“I attempted my greatest to start out as quick as attainable,” Model defined. “It’s very quick and was not simple. I feel it was not super-bad, however it will probably at all times be higher. Then it’s actually laborious to move, and my sand sections weren’t the very best, so as a substitute of shifting up I misplaced a couple of locations.
“The primary two [Van Empel and Schreiber] had a spot already by the point I may lastly transfer up, and I by no means may shut it anymore.
“I attempted to remain calm and to ensure I had house to move by means of, as a result of I knew that in the event that they possibly made one mistake,and also you do it excellent, then you possibly can come again. However within the entrance they did it excellent as properly. Fem simply was robust, as a result of as soon as she was forward, she contained her hole.”
Against this, Schirber had a lightning quick, and truly led the race for the primary half, earlier than Van Empel introduced her again on an particularly troublesome sand stretch on the primary lap.
“I had a super-good begin, after which I cracked a bit within the second and third laps. When Lucinda got here I couldn’t comply with, however in the direction of the tip I had an excellent tempo, and I didn’t make any errors, so I may maintain the third place.”
“I assumed I’d simply dangle on [to Van Empel] for so long as I can, after which sadly on the sand I made a giant mistake, and she or he was gone. I by no means acquired again. I additionally suppose I went just a little bit over the restrict making an attempt to comply with her as a result of after that I cracked a bit. I feel I used to be past the restrict as a result of I made some errors. Within the sand, for those who’re actually in your restrict, you begin to make errors.”
Behind Schriber, Sara Casasola (Hess Biking Workforce) attacked away from Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck) on the ultimate lap to win a closely-fought battle for fourth-place, whereas Blanka Vas (SD Worx) and Zoe Bacstedt (Canyon-SRAM) positioned sixth and seventh respectively.