World champion Fem van Empel’s victory in Saturday’s fifth round of the Superprestige series in Boom, Belgium extends her undefeated streak in the 2023-2024 season to nine races. Van Empel took advantage of a Puck Pieterse mistake on the second lap and soloed for the remaining four laps. She also took the first round in Overijse. Annemarie Worst assumed the series lead by five points over Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, who missed the race through sickness.
Series leader Alvarado absent
Alvarado missed Round 5 through illness and would not be able to defend her eight-point lead over Worst (Cyclocross Reds). Winner of three of the first four Superprestige rounds, Alvarado would also miss Sunday’s round of the World Cup, which she also leads.
Pieterse seized the hole shot on Lap 1, while van Empel had a little trouble with her pedals after the gun. Pieterse pulled along van Empel, Worst and four others. Van Empel made an error which allowed Pieterse to take a gap, with the world champion the closest pursuer. After 2.775 km, Pieterse’s lead was eight seconds.
Puck saved herself from a crash early in Lap 2 but then had to climb in the wrong gear, which brought van Emden back to her. Behind them, Worst led the chase group of Denise Betsema, Kata Blanka Vas and Inge van der Heijden. Pieterse crashed and then van Empel was away, 20 seconds clear by the end of the circuit.
Van Emden continued to romp on Lap 3 of 6. Vas tried to shake the others in her group. Van Empel was imperious, 43 seconds in the lead.
Vas, van der Heijden and Worst continued battling for the final podium position–the only real competition left–on Lap 4. Pieterse was a full minute in arrears.
Going into the penultimate lap, Worst had pressed clear of van der Heijden and Vas. Vas looked like she was about to close in, but two mistakes on a hill put her behind van der Heijden.
Worst and van der Heijden had to worry more about Aniek van Alphen on the bell lap than Vas. Worst tried to drop van der Heijden and finally surged away to take the last step on the podium and grab the series lead.
The next round isn’t until December 27 in Heusden-Zolder.
2023-2024 Superprestige, Round 5, Boom
1) Fem van Empel (The Netherlands/Jumbo-Visma 43:27
2) Puck Pieterse (The Netherlands/Fenix-Deceuninck) +1:04
3) Annemarie Worst (The Netherlands/Cyclocross Reds) +1:59
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