The European Cyclocross Championship scheduled for the weekend in Middelkerke, Belgium, loses one of the favorites for victory and the "orange" national team loses one of its top riders: Fem van Empel, world and continental champion, will not defend the title she won twelve months ago in Pontevedra, ahead of her compatriots Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado and Lucinda Brand.

This was learned yesterday afternoon when Visma Lease a Bike, the club team for which Fem is registered, published a statement informing that the twenty-three-year-old is "not in good enough shape to compete and will spend the next period training in Spain".

The native of 's-Hertogenbosch had chosen together with her team in March to take a long break from competitions, and in a social media post she explained to her fans: "It's the best step for my mental health and well-being. I will focus on my recovery with the aim of coming back stronger".

After starting the cyclocross season, van Empel had begun to rack up victories, first at the Kiremko Nacht van Woerden and then at the Internationale Cyclocross Heerderstrand where she celebrated her fiftieth career win. However, on November 1st, she withdrew from the Koppenbergcross, and now she is skipping the continental championship.