Femme van Empel (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) beat rival Puck Peterse (Alpecin - Deceuninck) in an "all or nothing" last lap attack, despite suffering stomach problems in Dublin, World Cup victory.

The 20-year-old held off the challenge of a resurgent Pieterse to win her 10th cyclocross event of the season with a winning move on the final corner in Ireland.

Rival Pieterse crashed on the boards on the first lap, leaving the European champion with a 20-second lead, but she then put on a furious charge. The Alpecin-Desseuninck rider caught up to van Empel by the midway point and attacked repeatedly in his quest for victory.

However, Van Empel responded to his rival's efforts with a winning attack in the final seconds of the race, leaving Denis Betsema (Pauwels Sausen Bingor) in third place.

The 20-year-old said she was not 100% physically fit, but it was her sixth World Cup win of the season.

"Luckily I had some energy left in the last corner," she said. We were both really strong. I think we are on the same level now and every race is a battle, either Pac or me." [Going for the puck at the end of the race was a bit tactical. The game was all or nothing. Maybe Pac had his own tactics, but for me it was enough to finish first at the finish line.

"I had a stomach bug last night, so I wasn't feeling great during the race, I wasn't at 100%, but you don't need to be at 100% to win.

Van Empel and Pieterse are the fiercest rivals in this year's Cyclocross World Cup, with few 20-year-olds among their rivals.

"Hopefully yes," Van Empel said when asked if their rivalry could last for years to come.

"Hopefully we'll be able to work on the mountain bike, and hopefully Puck will be able to work on the road. We have a really good chemistry, we can make each other stronger, and it will be a fun sport to watch. It would also be great for young girls who want to be cyclocross riders and have a lot of respect for us.

"It's really fun to watch Puck win and me win, and it's good for the spectators, especially in Dublin in other countries. I hope to come back next year."

Pieterse has become known for his bunny hops and technical skills that have helped him dominate his rivals.

However, on the first lap, Betsema was in front of the young Dutch rider and did not give her room to ride, crashing and losing time.

"The chain came off twice on the first lap, one of which I had to manually re-chain in the barriers. [She (Denise) came out in front of me. I made a split-second decision that I couldn't pull up the handlebars anymore. If I couldn't pull up the handlebars at the barrier, I would just run right into it. So I went over the bar, but luckily I didn't feel any pain."

Pieterse, who has won two World Cup races this season, responded quickly to close the 20-second gap and attacked several times for the win, only to be turned back by Van Empel near the end.

"I knew I had to act quickly because I couldn't let Pham [Van Empel] run alone," Pietase said. 'We got our time back quickly, got some energy and luckily we were able to close the gap. On the muddy straight, she [van Empel] can really power up and is explosive on the little climbs.

"The little tricky points were good for me too. It suited both of us and it was a very close race today. My legs were full [on the last lap]. I heard her coming and I tried to stay with her, but she was too strong."

Behind the battle for the lead, Betjema chased Van Empel, but lost time on the second lap and eventually finished third, 1:37 behind. 29-year-old Betjema's first World Cup podium, she could only watch as the young Dutchman rode away. He could only watch as the young Dutchman rode away.

"I think I was my best today. 'It's nice to be on the podium with those strong girls, but I had to keep up today, third place was steady and I found my tempo and went for it.'

[3] "It was nothing more than that. The girls [Van Empel and Pieters] were really strong today. They are a little more focused and I gave it my all, but I couldn't keep up with them. If I can get a little better, I think I can keep up with them."

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