MADRID, 27 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Cyclocross World Cup – Benidorm Costa Blanca 2023 continues to add prestigious names with the confirmation of the Dutch Fem van Empel and Puck Pieterse, first and second classified in the UCI Cyclocross World Cup, who will be on January 22 at the Alicante appointment.
Thus, after the confirmations of the ‘big three’ of the men’s cyclocross, with the specialist Mathieu Van der Poel, the superstar Wout van Aert and the world champion Tom Pidcock, two other rivals arrive for the excellent Silvia Persico and the legend Marianne Vos in the women’s Elite sleeve.
The duels between the two Dutch riders were the theme of the women’s Elite events of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup. Between them they monopolized the victories in nine of the ten events held, having coincided on the podium in all except the first two events in the United States, where Pieterse did not appear and Van Empel won, and the last ones in Val di Sole and Gavere, where a hard fall suffered left Van Empel out of the game.
Currently, Fem van Empel leads the UCI Cyclocross World Cup with 330 points, compared to 290 from a rising Puck Pieterse. The Benidorm Costa Blanca test, penultimate in the program of the main cyclocross ‘challenge’, is presumed decisive for the luck of the competition.
In this way, Pascual Momparler, head of Momparler Cycling, praised the figure of the two Dutch cyclists and stressed their commitment to the Alicante event. “Fem Van Empel and Puck Pieterse are two of the best cyclocross specialists in the world,” he said.
“This year they are offering a brutal show in each round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup. Let’s remember that this one in Benidorm is going to be the penultimate round of the Cup, and in my opinion it will be the one that decides its final result. This is a further incentive not to miss the races: both those who come to the circuit and those who follow the tests on television will enjoy a great show”, he concluded.