Van Empel started cycling and cyclo-cross at the age of eight. Ten years later, she became the U23 world champion cyclo-cross. The Dutch talent made a name for herself with victories in the World Cup of Val di Sole 2021 and Flamanville 2022. In the cyclo-cross season '22/'23, there was no stopping Van Empel. She won race after race and even became the European and World champion.
Van Empel has been riding for Team Visma | Lease a Bike since January 1, 2023. She made her debut on the road in the Volta Limburg Classic and came second in the young rider classification in the Giro d'Italia Donne. Van Empel also asserted herself in the field again in '23/'24. She prolonged her European title and became world champion again in Tábor. In 2024, Van Empel rode to sixth place in the youth classification in her first Tour de France Femmes and managed to become European champion in the field for the third year in a row.