Fem van Empel made a dominant return to cyclocross, claiming victory in the Exact Cross Kortrijk by a commanding margin. The reigning world champion, racing for the first time since her European Championship win in Pontevedra, set the pace early and rode away from the competition on the opening lap. She eventually crossed the line 47 seconds clear of Marion Norbert Riberolle, with Inge van der Heijden completing the podium.
“I’m very happy to be back,” Van Empel said post-race. “It’s very nice to come back and win straight away. I didn’t have any doubts about my form because I’ve been training hard, but the cold weather was a bit of a shock after the warmer conditions I’ve been used to.”
The 22-year-old attacked on a sand section during the opening lap, quickly gaining a gap that steadily grew. By the end of the second lap, her advantage was 13 seconds, and it extended to 25 by the third. With a significant lead, she eased off slightly in the final laps, likely keeping Sunday’s World Cup race in Antwerp in mind.
“It was very cold today, so I pushed the pace early to stay warm,” Van Empel admitted. “I enjoyed the race, and it’s always fun to hear the crowd cheering your name. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s race with the strong field and beautiful course.”
Behind Van Empel, Norbert Riberolle and Van der Heijden worked together to maintain their positions, while Alicia Franck fell back after initially joining the lead group. Imogen Wolff finished an impressive sixth in her debut race for Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women, saying, “It’s nice to be back in cyclocross. My start wasn’t great, but I moved up quickly and didn’t make many mistakes. I’m happy with sixth place.”
2024 Women’s Exact Cross Kortrijk result
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Photo Credit: GettyIserbyt triumphs in the men’s race after team effort
In the men’s race, Eli Iserbyt secured his second win of the season, soloing to victory in the Exact Cross Kortrijk. The Belgian champion capitalised on teamwork with Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal teammate Michael Vanthourenhout to overcome Niels Vandeputte and Jente Michels of Alpecin-Deceuninck.
“It feels very good,” Iserbyt said of his win. “The most important part of the season is coming with the World Cup, so this is good for the head. Tomorrow’s race in Antwerp will be hard, but I’m looking forward to it.”
The race began with Iserbyt and Vanthourenhout launching repeated attacks to stretch the field. Iserbyt made his decisive move on the sixth lap, countering an earlier effort by Vanthourenhout. Michels hesitated to respond, allowing Iserbyt to open a gap that steadily increased to 28 seconds by the final lap.
Behind, Vandeputte won the sprint for second place, edging out Vanthourenhout, who had played a crucial role in disrupting the chase.
Reflecting on the race, Iserbyt said, “We had a good tactic today, keeping the pace high and attacking when the opportunity arose. Once I was alone, I could push my advantage.”
Vanthourenhout noted the importance of teamwork, saying, “We worked well together as a team. It’s great to see our plan come together, and I’m pleased with the podium finish.”
2024 Men’s Exact Cross Kortrijk result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
