It was another classic Fem vs Puck battle in the eighth round of the 2022-2023 UCI ‘Cross World Cup in Dublin, Ireland on Sunday. World Cup leader van Empel got the better of her compatriot, taking her sixth race in nine rounds. Sidney McGill enjoyed her best World Cup, placing eighth.
After her fifth World Cup win of the season last Sunday in Antwerp, van Empel had a 95-point lead over Puck Pieterse in the standings. There was no Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado or Lucinda Brand in Dublin.
Siobhan Kelly joined Sidney McGill as the Canadians on the Emerald Isle.
With Marie Schreiber leading early on Lap 1, McGill was holding her own at Position 9. Denise Betsema was on the Luxembourger’s wheel and van Empel and Pieterse were in the string. Puck crashed into the barriers on the planks and lost her chain, finding herself behind McGill. Van Empel then seized the reins from Schreiber and she and Betsema forced a little gap. The duo was 12 seconds clear of Pieterse at the line. McGill held tough in 10th.
Van Empel bolted on Betsema in Lap 2. Soon it was Pieterse chasing van Empel and Betsema chasing Pieterse. Puck made the junction before the line. McGill was still 10th and Kelly was 20th.
On Lap 3 of 5 Puck accelerated out of the pits but Fem ran her down. They were evenly matched through the middle circuit and crossed the line 32 seconds up on Betsema.
McGill was in a scrap for ninth with Belgian Fleur Moors as the race entered the penultimate lap. Pieterse and van Empel both pitted. There was a lot of bike exchanging on Sunday. Van Empel passed Pieterse at the end of the sandpit.
Pieterse 🆚 Van Empel
Who is it going to be? Last lap 🔔 #CXWorldCup pic.twitter.com/9FeB4VTak0
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) December 11, 2022
The World Cup leader had a slight advantage going into the bell lap. McGill had floated past Moors into ninth–could she snag eighth from Brit Millie Couzens? Puck led for much of the last lap before van Empel gunned it. The young Dutch duo battled almost a minute and a half ahead of Betsema. It would be van Empel with her sixth Cup victory of the season. McGill passed Couzens.
The next round is next Sunday in Val di Sole, Italy.
2022-2023 UCI ‘Cross World Cup, Round 9, Dublin
1) Fem van Empel (The Netherlands/Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) 47:13
2) Puck Pieterse (The Netherlands/Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:02
3) Denise Betsema (The Netherlands/Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) +1:37
8) Sidney McGill (Canada)…
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