Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) scratched the itch of lacking cyclocross and confirmed her kind with a formidable third positioned end within the Namur World Cup.
The 22-year-old multi-discipline rider received stage 4 of the Tour de France Femmes and the World Cross Nation Mountain Bike Championships this summer season. She additionally received the under-23 Highway Race World Championships in September.
After taking a break from racing, the Fenix-Deceuninck rider returned to the ‘cross discipline in one of many season’s hardest occasions on the Citadelle in Namur.
Any doubters about her kind had been rapidly corrected as Pieterse powered up the opening climb and held her place within the main group on the powerful and slippery course.
Her team-mate Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado finally rode away to take victory, whereas the skilled Lucinda Model (Baloise-Trek Lions) rode via the sphere to complete second.
For Pieterse, it was her first step in direction of the cycloross World Championships throughout the first weekend of February.
“It was powerful, it took a bit getting used to and for certain I didn’t do all the pieces excellent,” stated Pieterse.
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“I’m blissful that I didn’t make any large crashes or silly errors or one thing. I feel Ceylin [Alvarado] was very good as we speak.”
“Lucinda [Brand] got here again and I noticed that as a cue to start out chasing as a result of Lucinda would come shut nonetheless. Lucinda got here from to date again, like a rocket to the entrance.”
“I’m proud of third,” she added.
The Dutch rider will trip 11 cyclocross races this season, culminating with the World Championships.
Pieterse stated that she has solely been finishing structured coaching since November, however completed simply 34 seconds behind the winner in Namur.
“That isn’t very lengthy [the training block], however I nonetheless hope to achieve my stage of the previous winters,” Pieterse, who began her ‘cross season a month earlier final season, instructed Het Nieuwsblad.
“Sure, I’m beginning later than in earlier years. That’s the results of my actions on the highway and mountain bike.”
“These seasons are getting longer and longer. Nonetheless, I’m going to do nearly as many cyclocross races as final season. I don’t assume I’ll ever have ridden so many competitions in such a brief time period, I’m additionally going to trip double weekends for the primary time,” she stated.
‘I truly need to compete for the win instantly’
Pieterse stated earlier than her season opener that she was ‘beginning to itch’ after watching the earlier weeks’ battles between Model and world champion Fem Van Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike).
After ending second and third behind Van Empel within the final two cyclocross world championships, the duo are anticipated to battle it out once more for the rainbow jersey.
Nonetheless, the anticipated battle between the pair didn’t materialise in Namur regardless of their early exchanges. They had been side-by-side going into the primary treacherous descent, leading to Van Empel crashing.
That was the beginning of a foul day for the world champion who crashed on the infamous off-camber descent in Namur on the opening lap.
The next lap Van Empel regarded to achieve floor on the main pack, containing Pieterse, on the identical off-camber descent.
Nonetheless, the world champion crashed out closely and gingerly bought again underway after falling right down to eleventh – one minute and 18 seconds behind the leaders.
Van Empel battled again to complete sixth and 1-37 down on winner Alvarado and over a minute behind Pieterse.
“Within the first half I had a bit to regulate,” stated Van Empel. “That price me loads of time, however ultimately I stored preventing which was the great a part of as we speak.
“I misplaced loads of time, I by no means gave up so ultimately it was good.”
Van Empel anticipated Pieterse to return into Namur in good kind, whereas Model stated that her fellow Dutch rider will enhance additional after changing into used to the depth of cyclo-cross.
“I’m very interested in her (Pieterse) stage,” stated Model forward of the occasion in Namur.
“I’m certain she’s prepared. However it’s all the time the primary time going so deep is usually a shock to your physique.
“It’s going to be fascinating to see how she reacts to that,” Model added.
With Alvarado additionally constantly difficult the top-three on the planet it may very well be a quartet of Dutch riders going for the ladies’s victories throughout the the rest of this cyclocross season.
“I noticed on tv that the extent of the highest athletes is shut collectively,” Pieterse instructed Het Nieuwsblad forward of the occasion in Namur. “Final 12 months the variations had been greater (when Van Empel dominated – ed).”
“I truly need to compete for the win instantly and hope to be on the best step as typically as potential.
“However on the identical time I’ve to attend and see how my situation is, how my preparation will repay. The World Championships in Liévin in early February are my primary objective of the 12 months.”
