{"id":806046,"date":"2026-10-17T23:56:08","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T23:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/806046\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T23:56:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T23:56:08","slug":"getting-back-to-this-point-has-been-a-journey-of-its-own-fem-van-empel-one-spot-off-podium-at-berencross-on-return-to-racing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/806046\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Getting back to this point has been a journey of its own’ – Fem van Empel one spot off podium at Berencross on return to racing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fifty weeks ago Fem van Empel<\/a> last pinned on a race number. The three-time cyclo-cross World Champion then walked away from racing for an extended break. On Saturday, she returned to action at the C2 Berencross in Meulebeke with a fresh setup for cyclo-cross, Specialized TMRW, and a fresh reboot to her burgeoning career.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s been nearly a year since my last race, and getting back to this point has been a journey of its own. Taking a step back wasn’t easy, but I am incredibly proud of the choices I\u2019ve made. Looking forward to racing again! Let’s have some fun. See you tomorrow,” she posted to Instagram.<\/p>\n

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And the young Dutch rider jumped into the mud and the fray again, working her way around the West Flanders course in Meulebeke for fourth place.<\/p>\n

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In late October last year, the 23-year-old Dutch rider celebrated her 50th career victory in cyclo-cross,<\/a> winning in the mud at Exact Cross Heerderstrand. A week later she stopped racing during Koppenbergcross and then took time off “for my mental health and well-being”, leading to a permanent separation from her Visma-Lease a Bike team.<\/p>\n

The three-time cyclo-cross World Champion, a free agent to start 2026, confirmed a contract with FDJ United-Suez in September as her “new adventure”, the French Women’s WorldTour squad registering a new cyclo-cross team for the 2026-2027 season, Specialized TMRW.<\/p>\n

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“I took the time to recover. And I have been happier than ever since. I have traveled a lot. In doing so, I got to know myself in a different way. I wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” she said prior to Beremcross to VRT, the Flemish-speaking broadcaster, which was reported by NOS.<\/p>\n

“I had lost the joy of cycling. I was no longer able to pursue top-level sport in the way I would like.”<\/p>\n

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Marie Schreiber rode away from the field and continued her streak of podiums in early-season C2 cyclo-cross races with a third victory in four starts. Behind the Luxembourg rider, a wave of Dutch riders filled the next eight spots, Anik van Alpen (777TV CX) in second and Lucinda Brand (Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions) in third, with Van Empel sprinting ahead of Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Premier Tech).<\/p>\n

“The number of times I have been on a cyclo-cross bike this year can be counted on the fingers of one hand. It takes a bit of getting used to starting here again. It won’t all look as stylish as it should today. But I am taking the time to work on that as well,” she said.<\/p>\n

Van Empel was the first of the four riders to debut with Specialized TMRW this season, other teammates Anja Grossmann, Amandine Muller and C\u00e9lia Gery yet to start their cyclo-cross seasons. Last year Gery earned the women’s U23 bronze medal at Cyclo-cross World Championships in Hulst, while Muller was fifth, both racing for France.<\/p>\n

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