After a year off the bike, Fem van Empel is proud to be back at Koppenberg: 'Build up my toughness'
Cyclocross
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Follow us on GoogleFem van Empel is back on the cyclocross field. The Dutchwoman has raced in three cyclocross events this winter, with the Koppenbergcross on November 1 serving as her third race. It’s a bittersweet race for Van Empel. Exactly one year ago, while still riding for Visma | Lease a Bike, she withdrew from the race early, leading to a long sabbatical from racing.
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Fem van Empel raced for Visma Lease a Bike in 2025.
Van Empel took a break from cycling in 2025
In the 2026 edition, Van Empel did make it to the finish line. The talented 24-year-old rider had to play catch-up, due to her starting position. “I knew beforehand that I’d have to start fairly far back, in the last row. But I think it’s good for me at this stage of the season to build up my toughness by passing other riders.”
According to her, the Specialized TMRW cyclocross rider is making progress every week, which is why she returned home satisfied even after the Koppenbergcross. “I rode a good race, making up ground, and I’m happy with how it went,” Van Empel told IDL Pro Cycling after crossing the finish line.
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Van Empel is three races in and still smiling
Van Empel crossed the finish line with a smile. “I could have crossed the finish line angry, but there were a lot of fans cheering for me, and I love coming here. I wanted to thank them.”
Van Empel finished eighth in the first X2O race, after having to fight her way back from the back of the pack to a spot in the top ten.
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A year after withdrawing from the Koppenberg, Van Empel is proud
The Koppenbergcross in the winter of 2025–2026 marked Van Empel’s final cyclocross race for a while.
After that, we didn’t see the multiple world champion in action anymore. She left Visma | Lease a Bike immediately and even took a brief break from racing. Now, however, she seems to have regained her enthusiasm and is racing for the same team as Demi Vollering.
When we spoke with team director Lars Boom beforehand, the former rider said he had deliberately avoided discussing what happened last year.
“I didn’t want to emphasise that either, because I think this is just a cyclocross race like any other. But it’s also a very difficult race. Still, I think she’s pretty much put that period behind her.”- Lars Boom, FDJ Suze & Specialized TMRW director
This is also evident from Empel herself: “I’m really happy to be back here. It hasn’t been an easy year for me. I’ll share my full story at the end of the year to explain things further. Above all, I’m proud to be here and to race for a new team. Nothing is a must.”
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Lars Boom on how he tries to coach Fem van Empel
Team Manager Boom sees Van Empel as being particularly relaxed. “She’s in good shape, too. She’s making progress every week. We’re getting back into a steady rhythm week by week. That’s nice, too. So she’s moving forward step by step. And she feels good, too—otherwise she wouldn’t have started the cyclocross season. Things are just heading in the right direction.”
Before the start of the cyclocross season, Boom said she had no expectations regarding results and therefore wanted to keep the pressure off Van Empel. So is Boom’s coaching style different?
“First, she works with her trainer to make a plan based on where she stands and what she’s capable of for the weekend. Then we discuss it. That’s how you try to coach her.”
"Where we are now, the Koppenberg, is a really tough cyclocross course. Here, you have to conserve your energy for a long time. And if you have strong legs, you’ll gradually work your way up from the back. She’s starting from the fourth row, so you have to anticipate that, too. You have to adapt your race strategy to the conditions you’re riding in and where you have to start. And she’s coming from far back—of course, you can’t forget that.”- Lars Boom on Fem van Empel
Van Empel has reconned the European Championship course: "Preparation is half the battle"
So Boom and Van Empel do have a game plan. Boom confided in us that they have no plans to compete for victories.
“No, just to ride a steady race and see if there are any areas for improvement compared to the week before. That’s the goal every week.”
A week after the Koppenbergcross, the European Championships in Zeddam will take place.
“It’s in the Netherlands, and it’s always nice to race in your own country. You can tell from the footage that it’s a beautiful course,” said Van Empel, who doesn’t expect a quick finish there either.
“Given the way we’ve structured the season, I don’t think it’s realistic for me to be in peak form for the European Championships.”
Still, Van Empel is eager to get started. She's from Brabant, so Van Empel took a ride along the Achterhoek course. “I think the fact that I went to check it out last week says it all. I cycled along it and took a look around. I figured, preparation is half the battle.”
The women’s race at this European Championship will take place on Saturday, November 7.
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Latest Comments
- Checking out the European course beforehand is smart. Hope she enjoys racing at home, whatever the result.jennifer1902-11-2026
- How does the starting order get decided in cyclocross? Eighth sounds impressive if she had to work her way through the whole field.cadencekingm02-11-2026
- The article’s timeline seems a bit muddled: it says this was the 2026 Koppenbergcross, then calls it her final race of 2025–Still, her progress is encouraging.pedalpowe2902-11-2026
- It’s lovely to see her smiling and thanking the fans. Taking things week by week sounds like the right approach after such a difficult year.patriciaw02-11-2026
- Eighth after starting on the back row at the Koppenberg is a strong ride. Good to see Fem building race rhythm without the pressure of chasing victories.tourdeforce902-11-2026
- I don’t understand how you can break vertebrae and not feel much pain there. Does that mean the collarbone injury was just more noticeable, or can spinal fractures sometimes cause very little pain? Hope he’s fully healed soon.sprocketspiny01-11-2026
- The recovery-score details are interesting, but they’re not a substitute for proper medical advice. Hopefully the team are keeping a close eye on him and letting the scans—not the urge to train—set the timetable.jennifer1901-11-2026
- Pogacar’s point about the safety gap between the Tour and smaller races is spot on. Riders are going faster than ever, yet some finishes still have awkward turns and road furniture right in the finale. Organisers need to take this seriously.gearguru3301-11-2026
- Two extra vertebrae fractures is a frightening discovery, especially after the concussion and collarbone injury. Glad he’s recovering, but it shows why coming back too soon would be a terrible risk.breakawaybikerd01-11-2026
- The team says it wants answers “as quickly as possible”, but speed shouldn’t come at the expense of a thorough investigation. Since Picnic PostNL commissioned it, will the full report be published? The team’s transparency will matter as much as who leads the inquiry.cyclechamp4530-10-2026
