After profitable a stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in Liège final season, Puck Pieterse revealed that she is going to put a primary deal with the Ardennes Classics this 12 months as soon as she begins her highway racing season with Fenix-Deceuninck on the WorldTour within the spring.
The multi-disciplined rider concluded her off-road season with a bronze on the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Liévin on Saturday after being crushed by fellow highway riders and compatriots, world champion Fem van Empel and silver medallist Lucinda Brand.
In her third season of highway racing, Pieterse has added Liège–Bastogne–Liège to her want listing of races to do properly on this spring, particularly after her success on the streets of Liège final summer time.
“I’ve obtained a small break now for per week. I’ll go and do some winter sports activities,” stated Pieterse, who ends her shortened cyclo-cross season having received the Dutch National Cyclo-cross Championships and 6 World Cup podiums.
“Then I am going on to Spain with the staff and put together for the Spring Classics. I see progress. In my first 12 months on the highway, I caught to 2 races; it was not a giant season.
“Last 12 months, I rode fairly some races and in addition the Tour de France Femmes. It made me hungry for extra.
“After the Tour, additionally Liège–Bastogne–Liège. I haven’t seemed on the Ardennes Classics in any respect, simply the Liège stage of the Tour.
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“This 12 months, I’ll see whether or not Amstel Gold or Flèche Wallonne can be for me; I don’t know that but.”
‘I might be happy with third place’
Pieterse was a fast starter on the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships and led the opening lap earlier than placing each Van Empel and Brand beneath strain because the three Dutch riders gapped their opponents.
However, the tempo of her compatriots instructed within the closing laps, and Pieterse completed 1:09 behind gold medallist Van Empel and 51 seconds behind Brand. “I might be happy with third place,” Pieterse stated.
“The tactic was to see the place all people was in the beginning. Then to attempt to preserve some vitality, to be in there within the last, and see, from there, how the techniques performed out.
“I seemed round in the beginning and seemed the place the remaining was, after all. I attempted to not let myself be fooled. It was primarily a little bit of displaying one another the place we might drive [on the course]—and attempting to get into one another’s heads a bit as an alternative of pulling via.
“I believe that Fem and Lucinda had just a bit left within the last. I really drove from the time we had been collectively, and I used to be simply on the restrict. When they pulled, then I felt my legs. Then, I knew it will be troublesome.
“Until one-and-a-half laps to go, I used to be within the combine. The assaults on the entrance actually began occurring, and I didn’t have sufficient energy to shut them anymore. I’m simply pleased that it went the way in which it went. I believe I can take sufficient with third place.
“Fem at all times wins this title, thrice in a row. Every time, on the proper time, she is tremendous good.”
Van Empel, Pieterse, Brand and Blanka Kata Vas can be competing as soon as once more once they return to the Spring Classics.
While Brand has expertise on her aspect, Van Empel, Pieterse and Vas are within the early phases of their highway racing profession.
Despite Van Empel profitable three cyclo-cross world titles in a row, she is but to win an expert highway race. Her finest has been ending runner-up in a Tour de Romandie Féminin stage in 2023.
Meanwhile, Pieterse and Vas received phases of final 12 months’s Tour de France Femmes. However, Pieterse believes that Van Empel has the expertise and the energy to win on the highway, too.
“We are already joking about … we’re going to assault along with Blanka (Vas) at Strade [Bianche],” Pieterse stated. “That reveals how excessive the extent is now in ‘cross.
“If you are prime on the highway, you don’t essentially need to be good at ‘cross. If highway riders would be a part of us in ‘cross, they would not get near the rostrum. You additionally see that it’s conversely troublesome to shift from ‘cross to the highway.
“I believe Fem is a barely extra explosive racer like me. For the remaining, I believe we’re just about the identical. I believe Fem can race a bit of extra together with her head. I allow them to really feel a bit of bit, which isn’t essentially a foul factor. If Fem can do that in ‘cross, then she actually can do it on the highway.”