
Reigning cyclo-cross world champion Fem van Empel has put her pro career on pause for an "indefinite period", it was announced on Friday.
The 23-year-old will also leave Visma-Lease a Bike as a result, the team said in a press release, after doing "everything possible" to prevent her departure; she was contracted until 2027. She has won the last three UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, three European Championships, and 51 titles in the last few seasons.