Pieterse regrets not supporting Kastelijn in Strade Bianche: "She might have been able to make a move"

Puck Pieterse was quite critical of herself following the women's Strade Bianche. The 21-year-old lead rider for Fenix-Deceuninck was in the finale for the second consecutive year but lacked the legs that earned her fifth place the previous year. Consequently, she suggested to teammate Yara Kastelijn post-race that she would have been better off riding in support of her.

"You were great to be in that breakaway. I should have ridden for you; you were stronger," IDLProCycling.com overheard during a post-finish conversation between Pieterse and Kastelijn. Pieterse later explained: "Yara was slightly stronger; she might have been able to catch back up to the group if I had ridden for her. But in the end, we played it well, we can’t complain. Finishing with three in the top twenty is really quite good. My positioning was decent, though it still felt a bit unfamiliar at times, and occasionally I was out of place. That’s what you lack in the finale."

With Kastelijn finishing eleventh, Pieterse thirteenth, and Christina Schweinberger fifteenth, three olive-green jerseys indeed made it to the finale. After reflecting, Pieterse was able to appreciate their performance. "The tactics we agreed upon worked out perfectly. Yara was in the break, and eventually, we were three in the finale. It was up to me to follow the best, but unfortunately, I broke at the last moment. Then the race was pretty much decided. We got close to Vollering and Niewiadoma, but there wasn’t real collaboration anymore. Then you’re racing for seventh place."

Kastelijn proud of Fenix-Deceuninck

After crossing the finish line, Kastelijn was indifferent to Pieterse's remarks. She believed no one was to blame in such an extremely tough race. "The plan was to attack after sixty kilometers. Initially, we broke away with three, then a larger group formed. Everything went as planned, but in the end, it's all about who has the strongest legs, and the others were simply stronger. The final climb is unforgiving, but I just couldn't keep up. I still tried to conserve energy, and Puck and I attempted to close the gap, but the competition is strong too, you know."

Therefore, despite narrowly missing the top ten, the team heads into the upcoming classics with confidence, bolstered by their performance in Strade Bianche. "We hoped to be in the break, and then for Puck to bridge up to us," Kastelijn explained the pre-race strategy. "We had three in the finale, and I think we showcased Fenix-Deceuninck's strength well."