Gold medalist Fem Van Empel of Netherlands celebrates winning after the 76th UCI CycloCross World Championships 2025 (Image credit: Getty Images)
The Dutch women's team dominate the opening lap of the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lucinda Brand pictured in action during the women elite race2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
A general view of the peloton competing during the elite women's race at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Fem Van Empel and Lucinda Brand during the elite women's race at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Inge Van der Heijden at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Marion Norbert Riberolle in the elite women's race at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Helene Clauzel of France in the elite women's race at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Blanka Vas of Hungary in the elite women's race at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Blanka Vas of Hungary in the elite women's race at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lucinda Brand of Netherlands in the elite women's race at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Fem Van Empel in the elite women's race at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Dutch rider Lucinda Brand in the elite women's race at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Puck Pieterse in the elite women's race at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lucinda Brand and Fem Van Empel on the final lap of the elite women's race at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Winner Fem van Empel watches her teammate and silver medalist Lucinda Brand cross the finish line in Liévin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lucinda Brand pictured on the podium after the women elite race after securing the silver medal at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Lievin, France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Silver medalist Lucinda Brand, gold medalist Fem Van Empel and bronze medalist Puck Pieterse(Image credit: Getty Images)
Gold medalist Fem Van Empel of Netherlands (Image credit: Getty Images)
Fem van Empel made it a hat-trick of elite Cyclo-cross World Championship titles after coming back from a late attack by Lucinda Brand to take victory in Liévin, France, on Saturday. Puck Pieterse rounded out the podium in third place for an all-Dutch podium.
The much-awaited battle between the Dutch rivals transpired into an intriguing contest, which was decided in the final moments of the elite women's six-lap race.
Brand powered away while Van Empel was taking a bike change on the penultimate lap, which put Van Empel under severe pressure ahead of the closing lap of the race.
However, 22-year-old Van Empel used her running speed and strength on the steep climbs to claw back on the final lap.
The rivals went side-by-side and traded blows in the closing stages as they charged through the last technical sections.
However, a mistake by Brand coming into the final tarmac finish gave Van Empel the advantage she required to take a slender victory.
Completing an all-Dutch podium, Pieterse gave everything to challenge her other two rivals in the opening stages.
However, from the midway point, Pieterse was distanced and was left struggling a dozen seconds behind her rivals before losing time in the closing stages to finish third 1:09 behind.
Meanwhile, Van Empel was able to ride a finishing mud mound as Brand stalled to force her winning margin. “I didn’t realise that I’d won the race [coming into the tarmac finish] because I needed to go really deep,” said Van Empel.
“Mentally, it was quite hard after last weekend [two results off the podium]; this is quite emotional.
"Lucinda (Brand) was a great competitor today, respect to her, she rode a very good season.
“I’m happy for her as well for her podium finish and Puck coming in third place, we [the Netherlands] did a very good job."
“In the last few days, the course changed every day, and it was difficult as it changed after the recon this morning. It’s always tricky in the race to see how the course is, but after a few laps, you know the course well, and you need to find some points where you are better than the rest. I expected before the race that it might be a hard battle, and it was.”
How it unfolded
The elite women’s race was billed as the showcase on Saturday at the Cyclo-cross World Championship and potentially the most open race of the weekend.
Weaknesses have been found in defending champion Van Empel’s armoury this season, with the Dutch youngster winning 10 of 19 outings coming into the event.
A small field for the elite women’s event saw 35 entries from 12 nations, with the Netherlands represented by nine competitors.
The small mining town of Liévin in northern France hosted the world championship event over a three-kilometre course, which included a combination of steep banks, technical off-camber and grassland.
A sea of Dutch jersey dominated the front row of the starting grid but it was French rider Amandine Fouquenet, who powered around the outside to lead into the first corners.
Dutch riders Pieterse and Van Empel were in close proximity as the field ebbed through the opening sections.
Pieterse won the Dutch National title last month and took the lead going into the opening technical off-camber as Fouquenet fell back after her starting effort.
Van Empel was keen to put her mark on the event and powered past Pieterse after the first climb, and the pair quickly had a gap of 10 seconds.
After winning the World Cup event in Maasmechelen last weekend, Blanka Kata Vas was keen not to allow the leading pair to ride away, and she chased along with the experienced Brand.
By the conclusion of the opening lap, the leading pair had established a gap of nine seconds over a lone chasing Brand and Vas was a further five seconds back.
After failing to ride away at the front on the opening lap, Van Empel stopped her charge on the second lap and Brand closed to form a leading trio.
As both of her rivals took bike changes Brand took advantage and led for the first time, as the Dutch trio started trading blows.
Pieterse was next to attack through a final muddy section of the lap and pulled out a slender advantage as Van Empel struggled to get mud and stones out of her pedals.
The European champion was forced to change bikes and lost a handful of seconds on Pieterse and Brand.
After being put onto the back foot on the third lap Van Empel showed her strength as she again powered up the lap’s steep bank to regain the lead.
Brand sensed a weakness in her rivals, and while rival Van Empel responded, Pieterse was gapped and fell four seconds behind following a bike change.
After following the mid-race attack of her rival Van Empel hit back at Brand and forced a slender advantage.
However, Van Empel was taking no risks, and Brand returned as her rival elected to run a technical section.
Despite showing signs of tiredness, Pieterse was able to stay in contention with her Dutch opponents and was dangling at four seconds back.
A fourth-lap bike change by Van Empel allowed World Cup overall winner Brand to pull out an advantage once again. However, the Visma-Lease a Bike rider was again equal to the challenge and quickly clawed her opponent back.
The tactical games of Brand and Van Empel continued into the penultimate lap, and Pieterse sat 15 seconds back while Inge Van der Heijden battled her way into fourth.
Van Empel was showing signs of struggling to clip into her pedals throughout the race but was losing no ground as the battle continued.
A further bike change by Van Empel allowed Brand the slender advantage she required to gap her rival by a handful of seconds again.
Brand threw everything at her rival with little over a lap remaining and pulled out a sizable gap. However, Van Empel sprinted up the finishing road climb and powered back to her opponent, as Pieterse fell to 36 seconds back.
The defending world champion used her running speed and strength on a steep climb to pull back to her rival once again.
The pair came into the final section together before Brand got caught on the final mud mound, and Van Empel sprinted up the tarmac finish for victory.
Ben raced as an amateur cyclist in the UK from a young age into the senior ranks on the road, track and in cyclocross. He has an NQJ qualification in journalism, and a sports journalism degree, and has spent over 10 years as a news and sports journalist. Ben has been covering cyclocross for media outlets, including Cyclingnews, since 2021 and has been on the ground reporting at World Championships in Zolder, Belvaux, Valkenberg, Dubendorf, and Hoogerheide. Away from cycling as a freelance sports journalist, Ben regularly reports on a range of sports including football, rugby, and snooker amongst others. However, he is happiest whilst reporting on-site at cyclocross races in Belgium and the Netherlands.
