Nacht van Woerden: Fem van Empel takes comeback victory in second race of the season

A close battle ensued, with Van Empel and Van Alphen going away together on the final lap, and the world champion pulled away from her rival in the sprint to the line. Van der Heijden came home third.

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This marks Van Empel’s first win of the 2025-26 season after starting her campaign at the weekend, and her first since taking a hiatus from racing on mental health grounds. It also takes her career CX victory tally to 49, with the half-century mark in sight.

“It feels really great to take the win here,” she said. “It’s always special to race here, and to finish it off with a victory makes it even better. I really enjoyed being out there, and it was a beautiful battle.”