WB Benidorm (women)
Cyclocross World Cup (women)
13:40 Benidorm
Better late than never, right? After about fifty minutes without differences or separation at the flying meeting in Benidorm, Fem van Empel still managed to accelerate decisively in the last meters. The Dutch rider achieved a satisfying victory in the World Cup Cross in Spain. Only Lucinda Brand (2nd) came close to the finish line.
10 (!) riders were allowed to dream of the victory pearl on the Costa Blanca with 1 lap to go.
The flying meeting in Benidorm seemed to result in a group sprint for the women, but that was without Lucinda Brand.
On a vicious stretch of false flat, the World Cup leader gave it a hard shot. Everyone was desperate, only Fem van Empel, Schreiber and Vas survived the selection.
Brand refused to give up the lead. But with a clever maneuver over the beams, Van Empel turned the tables.
The world champion was the first to cross the final straight line and felt Brand die in her wheel. Schreiber was 3rd on the podium.
The Belgian women did not play a significant role. Julie Brouwers came 19th. New Belgian champion Marion Norbert Riberolle missed her start completely and finished 50th.
Van Empel: “The way it was done was special”
Fem van Empel raced to her 3rd victory in a row in Benidorm in the Spanish seaside resort.
“The way it was done was special,” said the world champion with satisfaction.
“Lucinda (Brand) closed the door in the final round. The beams were the last opportunity to find a hole.”
“That’s why I went full throttle over the beams. In fact, the sprint had already been completed before the asphalt.”
“If you didn’t come out of the beam first, it was difficult to win,” Brand (2nd) sighed afterwards.
“It is a very difficult cross, because a cross wants to move for a long time. At a certain point I was done with it and then I continued.
“It was such a crazy match, very tactical,” Marie Schreiber (3rd) tells her story.
“Sometimes I felt good, other times less good. It was a turbulent match full of different feelings.”
“I wanted to play it smart and be well positioned at the key points. I think I did that well.”
Thanks to a clever maneuver on the beams, Van Empel cheers for the 3rd time in a row in Benidorm
3 in a row for Van Empel
Thanks to a clever maneuver on the beams, Van Empel cheers for the 3rd time in a row in Benidorm.
Brand was very strong, but dies in the wheel of the world champion. Schreiber completes the podium.
3 more minutes
We are approaching the absolute denouement.
Van Empel passes Brand at the beam area and makes a gap. Did it happen?
Beresterke Brand
Brand refuses to relinquish its leading position. Van Empel will have to be patient until the final sprint.
4 leaders
Brand, Van Empel, Schreiber and Vas survived the selection. Fox just falls out of the boat.
Gums
When the weather threatens to come to a complete standstill, Brand gives it a shot on an ascending strip.
Everyone seems to be at their wits’ end right now.
Acceleration Fire
Visma-Lease a Bike will soon have 2 pawns with which they can move: Van Empel and Vos.
Brand doesn’t want it to get to that point and shakes the tree again. That in turn causes rifts in the 10-member group.
Situation after 5 of the 6 rounds
1. Brand (Ned)
2. Van Empel (Ned) – same time
3. Alvarado (Ned)
4. Vase (She)
5. Scribe (Lux)
6. Vos (Down)
7. Casasola (Ita)
8. Backstedt (GBr)
9. Fouquenet (Fra)
10. Van der Heijden (Ned)
The bell of the final round is ringing!
The ten of them enter the final round. Will we have a group sprint soon?
Accordion movement
Due to a game of poker between Van Empel, Brand and Vas, the accordion closes a little more.
Alvarado, Casasola, Van der Heijden and Vos are breathing down the neck of the leading trio.
Fox hunting
Meanwhile, Vos also floats completely above the water. She fights her way to 5th place and still has the podium in her sights.
-Eager WB leader
Brand is still not free from the tickling in her legs. But Van Empel and Vas refuse to break.
Situation after 4 of the 6 rounds
1. Brand (Ned)
2. Van Empel (Ned)
3. Vase (She)
4. Alvarado (Ned) op 5″
5. Casasola (Ita) op 11″
6. Vos (Ned) on 13″
7. Van der Heijden (Ned)
8. Backstedt (GBr)
9. Fouquenet (Fra)
10. Scribe (Lux)
There were still 3 of them then
Vas leaves Alvarado on the spot and then jumps to Brand and Van Empel himself.
We are suddenly looking at a three-way battle.
Front acceleration
A grimace at Brand.
The World Cup leader dances on the pedals, causing Van Empel and Vas to also go overboard. Only Van Empel can extinguish the out-of-control fire.
Quartet
Fractures arise in the leading group.
The Dutch trio Brand-Alvarado-Van Empel goes on an adventure with the Hungarian Vas. The gap on the pursuers grows to 10 seconds.
Situation after 3 of the 6 rounds
1. Brand (Ned)
2. Alvarado (Ned)
3. Van Empel (Ned) at 1″
4. Vase (She)
5. Van der Heijden (Ned)
6. Backstedt (GBr)
7. Vos (Down)
8. Ride (Fra)
9. Scribe (Lux)
10. Fouquenet (Fra)
Tricolor
The Belgians do not play a significant role today.
Julie Brouwers is our first compatriot in the competition in 22nd place. Belgian champion Norbert Riberolle falls outside the top 40.
Van Empel drops bomb
The world champion’s acceleration in pace causes the stomach of the leading group to squeak and creak.
Brand smells the danger and joins Van Empel and co with a heavy intermediate sprint.
Sandwich Brand
Due to a sandwich between Betsema and Casasola, Brand has fallen back to 12th place.
The WB leader must pray that the net does not break in the leading group.
Situation after 2 of the 6 rounds
1. Fouquenet (Fra)
2. Van Empel (Ned)
3. Alvarado (Ned)
4. Ride (Fra)
5. Vase (She)
6. Vos (Down)
7. Brand (Ned)
8. Scribe (Lux)
9. Backstedt (GBr)
10. Van der Heijden (Ned)
Wegrit
Will we get a group sprint?
The top 12 do not move at all, while Van Empel calmly leads the debates. When will the world champion fire the first warning arrow?
Fire in the lead
After 1 lap, Lucinda Brand’s diesel engine is completely warmed up. The Dutchwoman shoots to the top position, with Van Empel in her wake.
Situation after 1 round
1. Van Empel (Ned)
2. Schreiber (Lux) – same time
3. Backstedt (GBr)
4. Vase (She)
5. Ride (Fra)
6. Brand (Ned)
7. Alvarado (Ned)
8. Van der Heijden (Ned)
9. Vos (Down)
10. Fouquenet (Fra)
Team in the front
Things are gathering again in the line of fire.
A snake of 11 riders meanders through the bends towards the 1st passage at the finish. Marianne Vos closes the line.
Van Empel and Schreiber
A duet pries itself free from the suit. There’s music in there.
But Backstedt tries to close the gap on Van Empel and Schreiber.
Riberolle zit see
The Belgian tricolor is also not visible on the sand of Benidorm.
Marion Norbert Riberolle simmers in 34th place. This extremely fast course is no picnic for her.
Diesel Brand
An image we see almost every cross: World Cup leader Lucinda Brand (10th) tries to advance in the opening round after a mediocre start.
SALIDA!
The lightning-quick Marie Schreiber shoots away like an arrow.
Fem van Empel’s rainbow jersey is in the wheel of the Luxembourgish burdock.
Main participants
Fem van Empel (Down)
Lucinda Brand (Ned)
Ceylin Alvarado (Ned)
Marianne Vos (Down)
Inge van der Heijden (Netherlands)
Manon Bakker (Down)
Marion Norbert Riberolle
Julie Brewers
Zoe Backstedt (GBr)
Marie Schreiber (Lux)
Blank Vase (Female)
Sick Pieterse does not start
Last weekend she was crowned Dutch champion. “But Puck then caught a cold and she has not yet fully recovered from it,” her team Fenix-Deceuninck said.
So no Pieterse in Benidorm. But with Van Empel, World Cup leader Brand and Alvarado, we can still expect plenty of battle in the popular Spanish seaside spot.
Cyclocross World Cup
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