Unfortunate news emerged today for Fem van Empel just a week before the Giro d’Italia Women. The 21-year-old rider from Visma | Lease a Bike was involved in a collision during training. While she did not sustain severe injuries, she is dealing with a painful hip.
Van Empel shared on the popular training app Strava, “Thanks to the man who hit me head-on with his car and launched me into the air.” She also quoted the driver’s reason for the accident: “I had to quickly get a pack of cigarettes.”
Despite not having any broken bones, Van Empel’s painful hip raises concerns about whether she can complete her planned preparation for the Giro d’Italia Women. Her participation in the Italian lap remains uncertain. The young Dutch rider is on the provisional start list for the event, which runs from 7-14 July.
Last year, Van Empel finished 11th in the overall standings of this prestigious stage race. This season, she has twelve race days under her belt. In the spring, she participated in several classics and raced in the laps of Catalonia and Switzerland, as well as the Dutch National Road Championships.
