Fem van Empel wins Flandriencross in Hamme
Van Anrooij takes second ahead of Alvarado in third
Fem van Empel of Team Jumbo-Visma won the 6th round of the X2O Badkamers Trofee in Hamme, beating Shirin van Anrooij into second place and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado in third, making for Van Empel's 13th victory of the season.
Van Empel attacked from the first lap, establishing a decisive gap that eventually saw her win by a margin of 1:15, making for an impressive double-victory for Jumbo-Visma as Wout van Aert seized victory in the men's race too.
Van Empel's main adversary, Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck), wasn't present, while Lucina Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) - previously overall series leader - finished off the podium in fourth place and so has given up her overall series lead to Van Empel.
"The feeling wasn't great yet, I was still a bit tired from the internship in Spain. Fortunately, it was enough to win," said in an interview with broadcasters after the race.
The next X2O Trofee event will be X2O Badkamers Trofee - Krawatencross on 12th February, following the World Championships next weekend.
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Peter Stuart was editor of Cyclingnews from 2022 until 2025. Before joining Cyclingnews, Peter was the digital editor of Rouleur magazine. Starting life as a freelance feature writer, with bylines in The Times and The Telegraph, he first entered cycling journalism in 2012, joining Cyclist magazine as staff writer. Peter has a background as an international rower, representing Great Britain at the under-23 level and at the Junior Rowing World Championships.
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