“Let’s go!” Puck Pieterse shouted into the microphone to her teammates after officers confirmed that she beat yellow jersey Demi Vollering in a photo-finish dash to win stage 4 on the Tour de France Femmes in a rain-soaked Liège.
It was a suspenseful couple of minutes on the end as Pieterse and Vollering stood side-by-side surrounded by photographers and journalists, ready to search out out who had gained the stage. When it grew to become clear that Pieterse had gained by a whisker, the Fenix-Deceuninck celebrations ignited. Even Vollering could not assist however present her enthusiasm, hugging her Dutch compatriot earlier than they each rolled over to the rostrum ceremony.
“It is unbelievable. In the previous few days, I had tremendous good legs. The primary day, I had good legs. On the second day, I had good legs. Right now, I did not really feel my legs in any respect. It is at all times been good, and to win right here in a dash in opposition to Demi is a dream come true,” Pieterse mentioned.
When requested if she had at all times believed she may outsprint her breakaway companions Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) to take the win, Pieterse mentioned, “I did not know. I by no means sprinted in opposition to Demi, so I did not understand how that might go.
“I simply went with my intestine and tried to go away all of it on the market. Perhaps I haven’t got a sprinter’s physique, however on the mountain bike, you need to be fairly explosive, particularly within the quick observe.”
Pieterse, Vollering and Niewiadoma broke away from what was left of the sector with 13.4km to go on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons. Niewiadoma attacked on the ultimate run-in, however Vollering closed the hole simply as Pieterse launched her dash from the third wheel. Vollering responded and the pair reached the end line on the identical time, officers later confirming Pieterse’s victory.
“I knew they have been driving for GC, and I am right here for the stage whereas I am recent. I may [play] poker a bit. I knew Kasia would assault and Demi must observe, so I simply tried to maintain a poker face and take it from a dash,” she mentioned.
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“I went fairly early, ultimately. I’ve by no means been right here, so I did not know the place the end line was. We needed to look ahead to what felt like ages for the end result however I am so glad to take the win.”
Pieterse arrived on the Tour de France Femmes instantly from the Olympic Video games, the place she completed simply out of the medals in fourth place within the mountain bike occasion, distanced after struggling an premature flat time on lap 5 of seven.
“I labored up a lot for the Olympic Video games, and so when you’ve good legs there, you’ve good legs right here,” Pieterse mentioned of her efficiency in Liège.
Requested if she felt she had to decide on between mountain biking and street racing sooner or later, Pieterse mentioned her schedule this season has led to prime performances in each disciplines and that he would proceed to race in each.
“For now, I haven’t got to choose as a result of this suits completely into the racing block I’ve; construct as much as Olympics, then the Olympics, now this, after which two weeks after this, it is mountain bike worlds,” she mentioned.
“It exhibits that you do not have to choose; mountain bike and street can completely match collectively. Perhaps sooner or later, it is going to be troublesome. I wasn’t on the Ardennes this season as a result of I needed to construct as much as the mountain bike; after all, you need to make selections, however I believe it exhibits that if you end up match and skilled, then you’ll be able to win on a mountain bike and on the street.
“It additionally exhibits how excessive the extent of mountain biking is, and I’m additionally right here to characterize {that a} bit. Subsequent yr, Pauline [Ferrand-Prévot] will do this as properly and I stay up for battles along with her on the street as properly.”
For Fenix-Deceuninck, Pieterse’s victory marks their second on the Tour de France Femmes after Yara Kastelijn gained the stage into Rodez final yr, the 2 victories cementing their place on the prime of girls’s biking.
“It’s so cool to see how the staff has progressed over time. We began, after all, as a street staff that was extra of a bunch of cyclocross riders driving collectively,” Pieterse mentioned.
“We grew to become WorldTour, Yara gained a stage final yr, which was a large increase for the staff. It confirmed that we may be there when it issues. That is the largest stage race for girls proper now. To point out it two years in a row that we may be there may be cool, and it solely units us up for the upcoming years and what’s to come back.”
Pieterse mentioned she seems ahead to racing up Alpe d’Huez on the stage 8 Tour finale. She is aware of the climbing, having ridden up on August 3 and completed with a time of 52:20, the third quickest time on Strava behind Illi Gardner and Emma Pooley.
“I am trying ahead to that stage as properly however first I attempt to get well and see what tomorrow and the day after brings,” she mentioned. “For a stage like [Liège], I’m completely skilled for the climbs in there, however Alpe d’Huez is one thing completely different; altitude, lengthy efforts as a substitute of the six-minute efforts. It’s completely completely different, but when I had good legs right here, then who is aware of?”
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