When Fem van Empel announced in March that she would be a taking a break from racing as the best step for her mental health and well-being, there was no time frame or path outlined toward the long term goal of “coming back stronger” –with the time for recovery also offering an opportunity to consider the best path forward.
Six months later, what that looks like has now been revealed. The return to racing will be on the road on Sunday at La Choralis Fourmies, however, the three-time cyclocross world champion has decided it is the discipline where she wears the rainbow stripes that is going to be her focus. Llining up in France is just a means to regain her race rhythm as the 23-year-old will be letting go of road racing where she had taken on a substantial calendar with Visma-Lease a Bike through 2023 and 2024 before stepping away after taking on just Strade Bianche and Trofeo Alfredo Binda early this season.
“My motivation and enjoyment on the road were less strong than for cyclocross,” said Van Empel in a media release from Visma-Lease a Bike, where the rider is contracted to through to the end of 2027. “Once I made the choice, it immediately felt right. I fully stand behind my decision.”
“What I enjoy the most is the constant variety,” said Van Empel of her chosen discipline. “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 decision to keep the attention on cyclocross should leave the Dutch rider who started racing at eight more time to focus on things outside the sport after confessing that there was a point where, “I didn’t really know who I was outside of racing anymore.”
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