Van Empel achieves a grand victory in the 2024 CX World Championship

Van Empel takes the victory in the 2024 World Championship. The young Dutch runner frustrated the hopes of any other contender with an absolute dominance of the race. Van Empel will wear the rainbow for the second year, while Brand and Pieterse accompanied her on a podium completely dyed in Dutch orange.

Van Empel wins in Tabor and is already a two-time CX world champion

The surprises came before the pedals turned when Blanka Vas's withdrawal was announced. The Hungarian was one of the contenders to fight for the rainbow -after having put an end to the October injury and having recovered her best level-, but an untimely gastrointestinal virus left her out of the most special event of the year. The race started with the prominence of the four favorites: Van Empel took the lead and behind her were Alvarado, Brand and Pieterse.

The 38 runners who had met in the Czech mud of Tabor found a slow circuit. Van Empel shrugged off any conservative strategy and set a high pace from the start; an early explosiveness that allowed her to open a gap in the early stages.

Van Empel had the best quadriceps and the advantage kept growing unopposed. The relentless pedaling of the Dutchwoman forced her compatriots to make a move; the chasing group formed by the other three contenders for the rainbow broke up. Pieterse ventured alone in pursuit of her compatriot, Brand stayed in third position and Alvarado was relegated to fourth.

The gap separating the leader kept getting bigger and Van Empel managed to get a 30-second lead over Pieterse in the second lap. A little further back, Alvarado was struggling, losing a minute with the head and an inspired Casasaola was able to reach her.

As the minutes passed, Van Empel's overwhelming dominance was confirmed, while the fight for second place tightened. Pieterse held the second place, but Brand was getting closer and posed a real threat.

Van Empel continued to tip the World Championship balance in her favor. The Dutchwoman was the mistress and lady of a memorable race. Although the lead was enough to face the second part with some calm, nothing stopped the steel legs that danced beautifully on the Czech track.

Brand quickly caught up with Pieterse and left her behind even faster. The veteran cyclist seemed to rejuvenate as the clock advanced and managed to overtake Pieterse and put some distance between them.

Brand's awakening stopped the hemorrhage of seconds that Van Empel had subjected her rivals to from the start, although the move did not bother a leader who already smelled of rainbow.

Last lap. Van Empel kept pushing without giving Brand any chance to dream, who consolidated in second place. Pieterse, visibly tired, pedaled the final kilometers alone, while Alvarado, who had long since stopped flirting with Casasola, saw her at a distant 20 seconds.

The race was consumed smoothly and Van Empel faced the finish line to throw her arms to the sky of Tabor and certify the victory in the CX 2024 World Championship. The Dutch rider closes an -almost- perfect season in which she has achieved 17 wins in 19 races. In this way, she has retained her title and at 21 years of age is already a two-time world champion of the specialty.

Brand finished second, Pieterse took the last step of the podium and Alvarado had to settle for fourth place.

2024 Tabor Cyclocross World Championships - Elite Women's

1. Fem Van Empel (The Netherlands) 46'19"
2. Lucinda Brand (The Netherlands) +1'20"
3. Puck Pieterse (The Netherlands) +1'54"
4. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (The Netherlands) +2'37"
5. Laura Verdonschot (Belgium) +2'52"
6. Sara Casasola (Italy) +2'59"
7. Annemarie Worst (The Netherlands) +3'40"
8. Clara Honsinger (U.S.A.) +3'45"
9. Inge Van der Heijden (The Netherlands) +3'49"
10. Maghalie Rochette (Canada) +3'52"