In Maasmechelen, Van Empel immediately demonstrated her readiness. The Dutch rider entered the field first and was able to keep up with her rivals. However, in the second lap, the world champion in cyclocross made a mistake, forcing her to chase. In the subsequent laps, Van Empel fought as hard as she could, but she could no longer close the gap to the leaders. She eventually finished in sixth place.

“It was a day to quickly forget,” Van Empel reflected after the race. “I have a tough training camp behind me, and on top of that, a long travel day. I'm sure that had something to do with it, but of course, that's no excuse. In any case, I have no reason to worry. Tomorrow is another day on a completely different course, so the result could be totally different again.”

Vos, like Van Empel, did not have a flawless race and finished thirteenth but still looked back with a sense of satisfaction. “I didn’t start the race well, but things got better and better during the race. I was eventually able to join the chasing group and was riding for fifth place until I made a mistake on the last lap, which forced me to chase again. The feeling was good, and I look back on today with satisfaction. I'm looking forward to being back at the start in Hoogerheide tomorrow.”