Pieterse had to make tough but smart choices leading up to the cyclo-cross season: "You can't do it all at once"

Puck Pieterse started her cyclo-cross season later than ever this year. While the Dutch talent typically kicks off her campaign in October, this winter the rider from Amersfoort made her debut only in mid-December, at the World Cup race in Namur. After the event, she explained her decisions to IDLProCycling.com.

Pieterse immediately secured a podium spot in her season opener. Battling through the mud on the Citadel of Namur, she managed to stay with the race leaders for a long time, where eventual winner Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck) dominated the race. "I didn’t have high expectations. I hoped to compete with the front group, and I think I did pretty well."

The obvious follow-up question: how good is Pieterse already at her debut? "I think today showed that my level is solid. It’s probably the same as last year. In terms of cyclocross technique, there’s definitely room for improvement, like accelerating quickly out of corners. But that improves with each race—the more races you do, the better you get at it."

Pieterse didn't want to miss Namur

Compared to previous years, Pieterse started her cyclo-cross campaign two months later, though last winter there was a month-long gap between her first and second races. "Ideally, I’d ride the entire cyclo-cross season. But starting later means I’m not competing for any overall classifications this year. Still, I think last year proved that beginning the season later was a good approach. You can’t do everything at once."

In Namur, the Fenix-Deceuninck rider was presented with a course perfectly suited to her. "I didn’t want to miss Namur. And the previous two World Cups were farther from home, so the choice was easy," Pieterse explained about starting her season there.

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Pieterse eyes a mini-triple

Pieterse’s cyclo-cross season includes a total of 13 races, with her first in Namur already earning her a third-place finish. There are no free weekends between these races—she plans to maintain her form all the way to the World Championships in Liévin, France. "I think races are also really good training. If there’s a real need for rest, you can always skip a weekend," she said.

The main goal, of course, is the World Championships. With a road World Championship title (at the U23 level) and one in mountain biking already to her name, Pieterse has the chance to achieve a unique streak of World Champion jerseys. "The goal has always been to become cyclo-cross World Champion. That remains the goal every year, so it’s not something extra. But it would be amazing to achieve a mini-triple—though one of those titles is at the U23 level. Still, it would be really cool."

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