Marion Norbert Riberolle claimed her first major victory of the cyclocross season with a dominant ride in Superprestige Ruddervoorde, attacking with two laps to go to win the opening round of the series. The Belgian national champion distanced a strong leading group that included World Champion Fem van Empel, who marked her long-awaited return to competition with a sixth-place finish.
Riberolle crossed the line alone after an intelligent and well-timed move, finishing ahead of her Crelan–Corendon teammate Sara Casasola in second, while French champion Amandine Fouquenet took third. The result marked a rare moment in elite women’s cyclocross – it was the first time in six years that no Dutch rider appeared on a Superprestige podium.
A cagey start on a fast course
The women’s race opened under bright, dry skies on Ruddervoorde’s quick and flowing course. Amandine Fouquenet was first to hit the front, followed closely by Leonie Bentveld and Mannon Bakker, as Van Empel found herself briefly delayed in the opening congestion. Starting around sixth place, the Visma–Lease a Bike rider quickly began to move forward, passing rivals on the technical sections and closing the gap to the leaders by the end of the opening lap.
By lap two, the front of the race had formed into a compact lead group of eight riders including Fouquenet, Bentveld, Van Empel, Aniek van Alphen, Inge van der Heijden, Sara Casasola, Hélène Clauzel and Riberolle. The pace remained high but the group stayed largely intact, with attacks quickly neutralised on the fast surface.
Riberolle makes her move
The first major shift came in the fifth of seven laps when Van Empel began to apply pressure on the sand section. Only Bentveld and Casasola could initially follow, but the chase behind quickly re-formed, bringing the main contenders back together as the race entered its decisive phase.
Crossing the line with two laps remaining, Riberolle surged forward from the back of the group and launched a perfectly timed attack. Her acceleration across the paved finish straight caught her rivals off guard. Van Empel hesitated, forcing others to chase, but the Belgian had already opened a five-second gap by the next sand section.
That advantage doubled by the final lap, with Riberolle riding confidently through the twisting middle sector while her teammate Casasola helped control the chase. Behind, the cohesion of the group broke down, and although Van Empel briefly tried to recover lost ground, she could not mount a sustained challenge in her first race of the season.
Photo Credit: Cor VosA commanding finish
At the bell, Riberolle led by 12 seconds and managed her effort to perfection through the final lap, maintaining her advantage to take her first-ever Superprestige victory. Casasola sprinted in for second, with Fouquenet securing third place.
Van Empel eventually crossed the line in sixth, having shown flashes of her world-beating form but admitting afterwards that she was still building condition after eight months away from cyclocross.
“It’s nice to be back,” Van Empel said after the race. “The first one is always tough, but I really enjoyed it. My form isn’t where I want it to be yet, but I’ve trained well, and maybe a bit of fatigue played a role today.”
For Riberolle, the win was one of the most significant of her career, coming against an elite field and confirming her growing consistency in major races. “It feels strange – I don’t really realise what I’ve done,” she said. “Yesterday, our team manager really encouraged us to work together, and today everything clicked. I’m really proud of us.”
2025 Superprestige Ruddervoorde result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
