The news almost got lost in the pre-Christmas hustle and bustle. Cross world champion Fem van Empel is putting her cycling career on hold - indefinitely. Her team, Visma | Lease a Bike, announced that after "intensive discussions and careful consideration", it had been agreed that the rider would have "no further obligations to the team" from 1 January 2026. But it's not just about the collaboration with the racing team. The all-round cycling talent is putting an end to professional cycling for the time being. At the young age of 23. She had already retired from the racing circuit last season in March after competing in Strade Bianche and Trofeo Binda in order to focus on her mental health and physical complaints. "Because of my own perfectionism, I lost myself as a person and only focussed on what I was good at," she said looking back. After the break, she decided against competing in road races and wanted to prepare specifically for the current cyclocross season. She has already been world champion in the elite class three times. She last won the rainbow jersey on 1 February 2025 - ahead of her compatriots Lucinda Brand and Puck Pieterse.
The last starts in the rainbow jersey?
The cyclo-cross season got off to a promising start. She won two smaller races in the C2 category. She gave up at the Koppenberg Cross on 1 November 2025. For good? "My body and my head gave me a very clear signal. I'm not someone who gives up quickly. But subconsciously, the decision had already been made. It feels like the right step for me," she says according to the press release from her team, with whom she was last under contract for three years. "At the moment, I'm lacking the motivation and joy for cycling that I've had for years," added the young woman.
Marianne Vos as mentor
Team boss Richard Plugge emphasised that it was regrettable for the team, but that they respected the athlete's decision. Team-mate Marianne Vos, multiple world champion on the road and in cyclo-cross, saw great potential in the young compatriot. "I think she can be a great rider in both disciplines," said Vos on signing for the team ahead of the 2023 season and emphasised: "We can't put pressure on such a young rider yet, but she obviously has great potential." Van Empel subsequently failed to achieve a professional victory on the road. Her best results were a second place in a stage at the Tour de Romandie in 2023 and eighth place at the Flèche Wallonne in 2024. Now the pressure was probably too much for her. She left open the question of whether van Empel could return to the saddle later on. "For now, it's the best choice," said the reigning cyclo-cross world champion in favour of retiring from professional cycling. Her successor will be determined on 1 February 2026 in Hulst, the Netherlands.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
