Fem van Empel continues her winning streak at Koppenbergcross

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Fem van Empel (Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal) secured a solo victory at the X2O Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross held in Belgium. The Dutch rider struck out alone mid-race to win by 52 seconds ahead of teammate Denise Betsema and 1:14 ahead of Shirin van Anrooij (Baloise Trek Lions), with US Champion Clara Honsinger (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) finishing fourth at 2:04.

It was the opening round of the X2O Badkamers Trofee series, featuring steep uphill cobbles in sections, including through the finish stretch, making it one of the toughest.

Notably on the start line was Pauline Ferrand-Prévot in her debut race for the new team Ineos Grenadiers. The current XCO cross-country, XCM marathon, XCC short track and inaugural gravel World Champion returned to cyclocross after an extended absence from the discipline and so line-up near the back until she gains points to move further up in the start positions.

All eyes were on the dominant Van Empel, who stamped her authority on another cyclocross race, battling the wind alone at the front.

The 20-year-old World Cup leader, who has won seven races this season, including four consecutive World Cups, was part of the early break that formed on the first lap.

Joining Van Empel was teammate Betsema and van Anrooij as Honsinger slipped to more than a minute in arrears, riding in fourth position midway through the race.

After a first-lap mechanical saw Ferrand-Prévot lose time, she again struggled with a mechanical at the halfway point, and another jammed chain on her new Pinarello and lost valuable time. She got the chain part way back on and tried to ride to the pit but it fell off again and she was forced to run to the pit to get a new bike from her mechanic.

Van Empel moved ahead of her competitors, opening a sizable gap on Van Anrooij and Betsema, pushing up through the steep cobbled uphill finish with 17 seconds and just 20 minutes into the race.

Honsinger maintained her fourth-place position on course as the race for fifth place behind heated up with Marie Schreiber (Tormans Cyclocross Team), Aniek van Alphen (777), sisters Isabelle and Ava Holmgren (Stimulus Orbea Racing), Kiona Crabbé (Crelan-Fristads) and Ella Maclean-Howell (Tofauti Everyone Active).

Van Empel orbited the challenging route with ease, a flawless race that led to her seventh win of the season, as her teammate Betsema crossed the line 52 second behind, for a one-two for Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal.

Van Anrooij tried to limit her losses in third place to finish 1:14 with Honsinger in fourth at just over two minutes back.

The bad luck continued for Ferrand-Prévot, who struggled with a jammed chain for a second time on the final lap while racing in seventh place.

Forced off her bike again, she tried to put the chain back on, but it fell off again through a corner. She then lifted her bike over her shoulder and run up the Koppenberg climb to finish outside of the top 10.

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