Description
October 22, 2023
Superprestige 2024 🇧🇪 WE – Overijse, Belgium
The Telenet Superprestige series is one of four major, season-long cyclocross series. Organised by Flanders Classics, the Telenet Superprestige series is made up of eight rounds,
Show more...
October 22, 2023
Superprestige 2024 🇧🇪 WE – Overijse, Belgium
The Telenet Superprestige series is one of four major, season-long cyclocross series. Organised by Flanders Classics, the Telenet Superprestige series is made up of eight rounds, all of which are held in Belgium. Points are awarded to the first 15 finishers of each race, with 15 points awarded to the race winner and in descending order from there on. After the eighth and final round of the series, the overall winners of both the elite men’s and elite women’s categories are decided by which rider has accumulated the most points throughout the series. The Superprestige series began in the 1982/83 season. Since then it has been a firm fixture on the cyclocross calendar and has often produced some of the most exciting racing in recent seasons.
Fem Van Empel (Jumbo-Visma) continued her winning streak to start the 2023-24 cyclocross season with a solo victory at the Superprestige round in Overijse.
The Dutchwoman led home Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) on an all-Dutch podium at the first Superprestige round of the new season.
“I felt just OK today so I just tried to ride a fine race. I could have only dreamed of a lead so big,” Van Empel said afterwards, according to WielerFlits. “Maybe the rest after Waterloo did me good. Maybe I should do it more often – take it a bit easier during the week and then go all out at the weekend.
“We have agreed within the team that, above all, I have to listen to how I feel about myself. Some people forget how young I still am. It’s also very difficult to say to yourself that I should do a bit less. But I have the right people around me who monitor that well. That’s very nice.”
World Champion Van Empel dominated the race from the first lap to the finish, taking over at the front of the race after an early foray at the front from Marie Schreiber (SD Worx).
A chase group quickly formed behind the 21-year-old, with Schreiber joined by Alvarado, Van der Heijden, Hélène Clauzel (AS Bike Racing), and Annemarie Worst (Cyclocross Reds).
It was Alvarado who looked the strongest from the chase, pushing clear on her own and at one point seeming to close in on Van Empel. However, by the start of the third lap, the gap was up over 30 seconds as further back Van der Heijden fought with Worst over the remaining podium spot.
Up front, Van Empel’s third win of the year was already assured, while Alvarado soloed home for second place, too. Van der Heijden eventually won out in her duel with Worst, dispatching with the 28-year-old in the closing stage of the race to fill out the podium.
Results :
 continued her winning streak to start the 2023-24 cyclocross season with a solo victory at the Superprestige round in Overijse.
The Dutchwoman led home Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) on an all-Dutch podium at the first Superprestige round of the new season.
"I felt just OK today so I just tried to ride a fine race. I could have only dreamed of a lead so big," Van Empel said afterwards, according to WielerFlits. "Maybe the rest after Waterloo did me good. Maybe I should do it more often – take it a bit easier during the week and then go all out at the weekend.
"We have agreed within the team that, above all, I have to listen to how I feel about myself. Some people forget how young I still am. It's also very difficult to say to yourself that I should do a bit less. But I have the right people around me who monitor that well. That's very nice."
World Champion Van Empel dominated the race from the first lap to the finish, taking over at the front of the race after an early foray at the front from Marie Schreiber (SD Worx).
A chase group quickly formed behind the 21-year-old, with Schreiber joined by Alvarado, Van der Heijden, Hélène Clauzel (AS Bike Racing), and Annemarie Worst (Cyclocross Reds).
It was Alvarado who looked the strongest from the chase, pushing clear on her own and at one point seeming to close in on Van Empel. However, by the start of the third lap, the gap was up over 30 seconds as further back Van der Heijden fought with Worst over the remaining podium spot.
Up front, Van Empel's third win of the year was already assured, while Alvarado soloed home for second place, too. Van der Heijden eventually won out in her duel with Worst, dispatching with the 28-year-old in the closing stage of the race to fill out the podium.
<strong>Results : </strong>
<iframe width="100%" height="730" scrolling="yes" frameborder="0" data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://firstcycling.com/widget/?r=15004&y=2023&lang=EN&cn=1" src="https://firstcycling.com/widget/?r=15004&y=2023&lang=EN&cn=1"></iframe>)
