The new generation of cyclocross stars are dominating this year’s women’s UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup series and winning all eight rounds to date, including the most recent in Antwerp on Sunday. Aged just 20 years old, Dutch riders Fem Van Empel, Puck Pieterse and Shirin Van Anrooij have shared out the event wins.
While last season’s World Cup winner Lucinda Brand has been out with a fractured hand and now illness, the youngsters have shown relentless pace.
World champion Marianne Vos has also struggled to break their domination, finishing ninth at the European Championships and fifth in her only World Cup event since returning from the road.
After being clearly the strongest in the opening elite races, Van Empel moved up from the under-23 ranks to the elite category at the European Championships. Despite suffering a puncture, Van Empel came back with a vengeance and won her first elite title, while Pieterse won the under-23 crown.
After winning seven of her first eight elite races this season, Van Empel suffered her first World defeat by a surprise Van Anrooij attack in Bergen.
Pieterse then showed her technical skills to win at Overijse before also winning last week in Hulst after Van Empel crashed.
The trio was again dominant in the Antwerpen World Cup on Sunday, riding clear of their senior rivals from the opening straight.
Eventually, Van Empel, who will ride for Jumbo-Visma on the road next season, mastered the sand sections of the course and powered away from Pieterse to take her ninth elite win of the season.
“Puck was also really strong, we were both really strong today,” said Van Empel after extending her overall World Cup lead in the Antwerpen round. “But luckily I made it first to the finishing line. It was a relief that I could win again in the World Cup.”
Worryingly for her rivals, Van Empel was using the World Cup rounds in November as part of her training programme but still came away with three second-place finishes.
“I said in advance that November was for training, so I’m very happy,” said Van Empel.
Different targets for different riders
While Van Empel has road racing aspirations, Pieterse is targeting mountain bike Olympic Games gold.
The fellow 20-year-old has impressed with her technical ability winning her first elite World Cup in the mud at Overijse, finishing over a minute ahead of her rivals.
Again, at Antwerpen, Pieterse displayed her skills and was the only rider of the leading group able…
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