“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 seek 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’s unbelievable. In the previous couple of days, I had tremendous good legs. The first day, I had good legs. On the second day, I had good legs. Today, I did not really feel my legs in any respect. It’s at all times been good, and to win right here in a dash towards Demi is a dream come true,” Pieterse stated.
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 stated, “I did not know. I by no means sprinted towards Demi, so I did not understand how that will go.
“I simply went with my intestine and tried to depart all of it on the market. Maybe I haven’t got a sprinter’s physique, however on the mountain bike, it’s important to be fairly explosive, particularly within the brief monitor.”
Pieterse, Vollering and Niewiadoma broke away from what was left of the sphere 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 similar time, officers later confirming Pieterse’s victory.
“I knew they have been driving for GC, and I’m right here for the stage whereas I’m contemporary. 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 stated.
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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 forward to what felt like ages for the end result however I’m so pleased to take the win.”
Pieterse arrived on the Tour de France Femmes straight from the Olympic 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 Games, and so when you could have good legs there, you could have good legs right here,” Pieterse stated of her efficiency in Liège.
Asked if she felt she had to decide on between mountain biking and street racing sooner or later, Pieterse stated her schedule this season has led to high performances in each disciplines and that he would proceed to race in each.
“For now, I haven’t got to select 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 stated.
“It reveals that you do not have to select; mountain bike and street can completely match collectively. Maybe sooner or later, will probably be tough. I wasn’t on the Ardennes this season as a result of I wished to construct as much as the mountain bike; after all, it’s important to make decisions, however I believe it reveals that if you find yourself match and skilled, then you may win on a mountain bike and on the street.
“It additionally reveals how excessive the extent of mountain biking is, and I’m additionally right here to symbolize {that a} bit. Next yr, Pauline [Ferrand-Prévot] will try this as nicely and I sit up for battles together with her on the street as nicely.”
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 high of girls’s biking.
“It is so cool to see how the workforce has progressed over time. We began, after all, as a street workforce that was extra of a bunch of cyclocross riders driving collectively,” Pieterse stated.
“We grew to become WorldTour, Yara gained a stage final yr, which was a large enhance for the workforce. It confirmed that we will be there when it issues. This is the most important stage race for ladies proper now. To present it two years in a row that we will be there may be cool, and it solely units us up for the upcoming years and what’s to come back.”
Pieterse stated 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’m trying ahead to that stage as nicely however first I attempt to get better and see what tomorrow and the day after brings,” she stated. “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 is completely completely different, but when I had good legs right here, then who is aware of?”
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