The women’s race at the Besançon World Cup saw a decisive performance from world champion Fem van Empel, who secured her eighth victory of the season. From the moment the race began, Van Empel asserted her dominance, swiftly taking the lead on the icy, technical course and building a gap that none of her rivals could close.
Zoe Backstedt led the charge into the opening lap, only to be overtaken by Marie Schreiber. However, a crash from Schreiber opened the door for Van Empel to claim the front position. By the first pass through the finish line, Van Empel already had a six-second lead over the chasing group, which included Lucinda Brand and Blanka Kata Vas. Marianne Vos, starting from the fifth row, faced a steep climb through the field.
As the laps unfolded, Van Empel’s lead steadily grew. Brand and Vas formed a duo in pursuit, with Vas initially applying pressure before Brand dropped her in the penultimate lap to secure second place. Vas, visibly fatigued in the final moments, crossed the line in third for her first podium finish of the season.
“It was a fun race,” Van Empel said afterwards. “The slippery course worked in my favour, allowing me to ride my own race. I made very few mistakes, which was key today.”
Photo Credit: GettyBehind the podium contenders, Marianne Vos battled her way into the top five, demonstrating determination and skill in her comeback race. By the halfway point, she had moved into a duel with Backstedt for fourth. However, the young Briton managed to edge ahead in the final lap, relegating Vos to fifth.
“It was a really tough race,” Vos commented. “The whole lap was challenging, but I’m happy with how I managed to move up through the pack. I was completely empty at the finish, but it was great to be back racing.”
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Photo Credit: GettyMen’s race: Van der Poel powers to another solo victory
The men’s race in Besançon followed a similarly dominant narrative, with Mathieu van der Poel showcasing his class to take a commanding solo win on the cold, icy course. The Dutch rider, starting from the second row, quickly moved to the front and attacked decisively on the second lap, leaving his competitors in his wake.
Toon Aerts had a strong start, holding pace with Van der Poel during the opening lap. However, when Van der Poel accelerated on a technical descent, Aerts couldn’t respond and settled into second place. By the second lap, Van der Poel had established a sizeable gap, recording the fastest lap of the day with a time of 9:13.
“I knew it would be a difficult race to manage because of the conditions, but I was able to ride my own lines and stay out of trouble,” Van der Poel said post-race. “The last two laps were really hard, but I’m happy with how it went.”
Aerts held off the chasing field to finish second, 20 seconds behind Van der Poel. Niels Vandeputte claimed third after a consistent race, finishing 16 seconds behind Aerts.
Further down the field, World Cup leader Michael Vanthourenhout had a disastrous start due to a mechanical issue, finding himself in 37th place after the first lap. Despite this setback, he mounted an impressive comeback, finishing seventh to retain his leader’s jersey.
Eli Iserbyt also faced difficulties, losing time in the opening stages due to a problem clipping in. However, he recovered to take fourth place after overtaking Joran Wyseure in the final lap. Wyseure rounded out the top five.
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Main photo credit: Cor Vos
