
Eva Lechner has completed her last professional race. © PETER DECONINCK
Lechner retires with a fighting spirit
As part of the 2025 Cyclo-Cross World Championships in Liévin, France, Eva Lechner competed in the last professional race of her career. In her personal finale on Saturday afternoon, the Eppan native had to line up further back.
01. February 2025
From: never
As was the case at her last World Cup race in Hoogerheide last weekend, enjoyment was at the top of her list on Saturday in Liévin. Eva Lechner was given the opportunity to say goodbye on the big stage, and the association gave her a special end-of-career gift by nominating her for the World Championships in northern France. "Not everyone has the chance to have such a big stage at the end of their career," she said recently, expressing her gratitude for the opportunity.
The fact that the eleven-time Italian champion once won a medal at a World Championship herself - eleven years ago in the Netherlands - was a nice memory at this year's World Championship. But a repeat of the 39-year-old's silver medal was out of the question. Lechner once again showed her fighting spirit, and in the final reckoning she finished 23rd (+8:09 minutes). The best Azzurra on the day was Sara Casasola (6th/+2:11), followed by Carlotta Borello (24th/8:15).
Dutch women dominate in France
As expected, the Dutch phalanx fought it out for the world championship title. Fem van Empel managed a furious title defense, and the 22-year-old became world champion for the third time in a row. The three places behind van Empel went to her compatriots Lucinda Brand (2nd/+0:18), Puck Pieterse (3rd/1:09) and Inge van der Heijden (4th/1:31).Fem van Empel has won World Championship gold for the third time in a row. © APA/afp / LUC CLAESSEN
"I still don't understand that I won. I really had to give it my all. It was a tough fight, mentally too," van Empel enthused in the winner's interview that followed. "Before the race, I had expected it to be a close call. And that's exactly what it was. Lucinda was a great opponent today. She's had a great season and I'm happy for her about her podium finish."
Lechner looks back on a phenomenal career
For around 20 years, the Eppan native was one of the most successful professional cyclists in Italy, was the "serial Italian champion" in cross country, attracted international attention, won World Championship gold with the azure blue relay team in 2009, 2012 and 2013 and won 3 World Cup races. But she celebrated her greatest success a few years later. In 2020, under difficult conditions, she won World Championship silver behind the Frenchwoman Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. And that at a time when hardly anyone would have expected it. "I had a few difficult years. The fact that I then made it back to the top of the world is something very special," Lechner said last summer.Completely distraught after a thrilling World Cup race: In a difficult phase, the Eppan native became vice world champion in 2020. © FCI
She continued this success story in parallel with her cross-country races. In 2014, she won silver at the World Championships and celebrated two World Cup victories. Now she's hanging up her bike - and then? She's unlikely to disappear completely from the radar. "There are plans for various projects," she recently explained.
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