Puck Pieterse ready for cyclocross return in Namur World Cup

Mathew Mitchell

Published on December 14, 2024
in Cyclocross

Puck Pieterse will make her much-anticipated return to cyclocross this Sunday at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Namur. Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad from a Fenix-Deceuninck training camp in Benicassim, Spain, the Dutch rider shared her excitement about competing again after a two-month break.

“I am looking forward to my return to the field in Namur,” Pieterse said. “I am motivated for every race, but always a little bit more for Namur. It is one of the most beautiful circuits. I like to ride there. That always provides extra motivation. And I am at the start with a fresh mind.”

Namur is renowned for its challenging course, with steep climbs around the citadel that favour the strongest riders. Pieterse acknowledged the difficulty of the terrain. “I realise that this is not the course where you start calmly and sit on the wheels for a while. In Namur, the strongest often wins, hiding yourself is impossible,” she said. “And yet I secretly hope that I am already good enough to fight for the victory. Whether that hope is justified, we will see on Sunday. I will probably be on the third starting row. In principle, in Namur, you have enough time to move up immediately, although there is a risk that you will end up in the crowd.”

Pieterse has had an unusually long off-season due to her focus on other disciplines. Her busy year included a fourth-place finish at the UCI Gravel World Championships in October, a stage win at the Tour de France, and her Olympic debut. Despite the hectic schedule, the 22-year-old is confident about her cyclocross campaign.

“The first two weeks of my holiday I did not touch the bike; after that, I only cycled for two weeks when I felt like it. I have been training structured again since November. That is not very long, but I still hope to reach my level of the past winters,” Pieterse said.

Reflecting on the competition, Pieterse noted how the gaps between riders seem to have closed since last season. “I saw on television that the level of the top athletes is close together. Last year the differences were bigger. I actually want to compete for the win right away and hope to be on the highest step as often as possible. But at the same time, I have to wait and see how my condition is and how my preparation will pay off. The World Championships in Liévin in early February are my main goal of the year,” she told Het Nieuwsblad.

The Namur race marks the start of an intense schedule for Pieterse, who has 12 races planned before the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in February. This includes a double weekend next week with World Cups in Hulst and Zonhoven, as well as a packed ‘kerstperiode’ with races in Gavere, Diegem, and Baal.

“For the first time, I am going to ride double weekends,” Pieterse explained. “I do not think I will ever have ridden so many competitions in such a short period of time. I hope my preparation will allow me to be competitive straight away.”