One mistake proved critical in the Elite Women’s race at the 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Championships on Saturday.
While Dutch superstar and World Cup overall winner Fem van Empel had a clean, fast start and soon took to the front of the race on Lap One, rival Puck Pieterse missed a pedal off the line and found herself chasing just seconds into her battle for the Elite Women’s title. Could the small slip by Pieterse determine the day?
Elite Women. 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Hoogerheide. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Pieterse calmly worked her way back to Van Empel’s wheel on the first lap, overcoming teammates Lucinda Brand, Inge van der Heijden and a fast-starting Italian Siliva Persico.
Pieterse’s superb barrier bunnyhopping helped her close the gap to Van Empel, and after a one-lap delay, fans were treated to the much-anticipated two-woman battle between the two favorites.
Fem van Empel and Puck Pieterse ride together.
Persico, Brand and the rest of the Dutch train keep chasing.#Hoogerheide2023 pic.twitter.com/UWcaAjrOem
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 4, 2023
The two traded in the lead for two laps, with Van Empel showing her strength on the long climbs and pavement, and Pieterse acing the technical descents and barriers.
Could this be a preview of Sunday’s battle between the two leaders’ male teammates in Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel?
One pushes, the other one jumps.
🤷🏽♀️#Hoogerheide2023 pic.twitter.com/F9rIpgCqD9
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 4, 2023
On Lap Two, Persico and Brand briefly made it a leading four, with Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado furiously chasing, hoping to make it five.
Behind, U.S. National Champion Clara Honsinger had a slow start, sitting just outside the top 20, while Canadian Maghalie Rochette started to surge through the field from 20th to close in on the top 10.
One Wrong Turn
While Pieterse looked most comfortable on the descents, it proved to be her downfall.
Early in Lap Four, with Van Empel in the lead, Pieterse slid out on a downhill turn, found herself on the ground, and the race was over.
😮💨
That was a quick recover for Pieterse.#Hoogerheide2023 pic.twitter.com/FjsIBPjrwD
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 4, 2023
Brand squeezed by Pieterse, and Van Empel had the gap she needed and hit the turbo.
Van Empel put in the fastest lap of the day, and suddenly had a lead of 17 seconds at the end of Lap Four. It would only grow from there.
She went into time trial mode and was never threatened. As to whether Pieterse had the legs to stay with her without a crash, we’ll never know.
Fem van Empel takes the rainbow jersey. Elite Women. 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Hoogerheide. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
“It feels a bit crazy,” Van Empel said after her win. “It’s an emotional victory. I’m very happy, I had the right people behind me.”
👊 🌈FEM VAN EMPEL 🌈👊
2023 UCI Cyclo-cross Women Elite World Champion #Hoogerheide2023 pic.twitter.com/znxDn86Kp1
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 4, 2023
Fem van Empel takes the rainbow jersey. Elite Women. 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Hoogerheide. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
The only question was who would claim the rest of the medals, and Pieterse pulled away from Brand and would eventually wheelie across the line to silver.
Elite Women. 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Hoogerheide. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Puck Pieterse takes silver 🥈 in Hoogerheide!
What a season. 👏#Hoogerheide2023 pic.twitter.com/eiAQ1SZb6Z
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 4, 2023
Puck Pieterse, Fem van Empel and Lucinda Brand. Elite Women. 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Hoogerheide. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Persico outkicked Alvarado for fourth.
Rochette continued her surge through the field to finish ninth.
Honsinger finished 16th, Team USA’s Raylyn Nuss finished 21st, and Canadian Sidney McGill finished 25th.
See the full results below. Stay tuned for more coverage and photos.
2023 Hoogerheide UCI Cyclocross World Championships Results: Elite Women
| Pos | Nr | Name | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 8 | VAN EMPEL Fem NETHERLANDS | 54:42 | - |
| 2. | 5 | PIETERSE Puck NETHERLANDS | 55:21 | +0:39 |
| 3. | 4 | BRAND Lucinda NETHERLANDS | 55:53 | +1:11 |
| 4. | 17 | PERSICO Silvia ITALY | 56:27 | +1:45 |
| 5. | 2 | ALVARADO Ceylin del Carmen NETHERLANDS | 56:28 | +1:46 |
| 6. | 9 | WORST Annemarie NETHERLANDS | 56:56 | +2:14 |
| 7. | 7 | VAN DER HEIJDEN Inge NETHERLANDS | 57:18 | +2:36 |
| 8. | 3 | BETSEMA Denise NETHERLANDS | 57:23 | +2:41 |
| 9. | 16 | ROCHETTE Maghalie CANADA | 57:37 | +2:55 |
| 10. | 11 | CLAUZEL Hélène FRANCE | 57:44 | +3:02 |
| 11. | 24 | VAS Kata Blanka HUNGARY | 57:48 | +3:06 |
| 12. | 18 | CASASOLA Sara ITALY | 57:50 | +3:08 |
| 13. | 22 | NORBERT RIBEROLLE Marion BELGIUM | 58:03 | +3:21 |
| 14. | 21 | FRANCK Alicia BELGIUM | 58:24 | +3:42 |
| 15. | 23 | VERDONSCHOT Laura BELGIUM | 59:14 | +4:32 |
| 16. | 13 | HONSINGER Clara UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | 59:24 | +4:42 |
| 17. | 10 | BAKKER Manon NETHERLANDS | 59:35 | +4:53 |
| 18. | 32 | KAY Anna GREAT BRITAIN | 59:43 | +5:01 |
| 19. | 25 | GONZALEZ BLANCO Lucia SPAIN | 1:00:06 | +5:24 |
| 20. | 12 | CLAUZEL Perrine FRANCE | 1:00:25 | +5:43 |
| 21. | 14 | NUSS Raylyn UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | 1:00:31 | +5:49 |
| 22. | 27 | BARHOUMI Zina SWITZERLAND | 1:01:16 | +6:34 |
| 23. | 34 | OGAWA Sae JAPAN | 1:01:23 | +6:41 |
| 24. | 26 | RODRIGUEZ REVERT Sofia SPAIN | 1:01:59 | +7:17 |
| 25. | 15 | MCGILL Sidney CANADA | -1 LAP | |
| 26. | 29 | BELFORTH Emma SWEDEN | -1 LAP | |
| 27. | 30 | HEIGL Nadja AUSTRIA | -2 LAP | |
| 28. | 31 | BIALEK Antonina POLAND | -2 LAP |
Featured photo: UCI
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