When Fem van Empel announced in March that she would be a taking a break from racing as the best step for her mental health and well-being, there was no time frame or path outlined toward the long term goal of "coming back stronger" –with the time for recovery also offering an opportunity to consider the best path forward.
Six months later, what that looks like has now been revealed. The return to racing will be on the road on Sunday at La Choralis Fourmies, however, the three-time cyclocross world champion has decided it is the discipline where she wears the rainbow stripes that is going to be her focus. Llining up in France is just a means to regain her race rhythm as the 23-year-old will be letting go of road racing where she had taken on a substantial calendar with Visma-Lease a Bike through 2023 and 2024 before stepping away after taking on just Strade Bianche and Trofeo Alfredo Binda early this season.
