Puck Pieterse is set to become one of the leading figures of Fenix-Deceuninck in the coming years. The Dutch 21-year-old prodigy of the Belgian team has signed a new contract, securing her position under the leadership of Christoph and Philip Roodhooft until 2027.
Pieterse is among the very top competitors in off-road racing. Last winter, she was second only to Fem van Empel in the world cyclo-cross rankings. She secured second place in the Cyclocross World Championship, finished second in the World Cup standings, and currently holds second place in the UCI Ranking. Additionally, she has been crowned the Dutch Champion at the elite cyclo-cross level.
Moreover, she is the reigning European Champion in U23 mountain biking, the runner-up in the Under-23 World Championship (following Line Burquier), and claimed victory in her first elite World Cup in May by defeating multiple world champion, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. This spring, she made her road racing debut, impressively finishing fifth in Strade Bianche. Pieterse called the contract extension a “logical decision” in a press release.
“The wonderful aspect of this team and its structure is that I can compete in different disciplines and have the freedom to choose when to engage in which discipline. On top of that, this team provides an excellent environment for training and coaching. I am convinced that I can best develop myself here over the coming years.”
Puck Pieterse
This summer, her focus is solely on mountain biking. Pieterse hopes to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris. The Netherlands is on track to secure two riders for the women’s event. In addition to the young talent from Fenix-Deceuninck, her erstwhile CX rival Fem van Empel and full-time mountain bikers Anne Terpstra and Anne Tauber are also aiming to qualify.
