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Final Might, Puck Pieterse burst onto the elite mountain bike scene with a marvellous victory in her first-ever elite UCI Mountain Bike World Cup race.
The day after her twenty first birthday, Pieterse staged an assault within the remaining lap of the cross-country Olympic (XCO) race in Nové Město na Moravě which noticed her take her first elite mountain bike gold medal, forward of World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.
She was topped XCO European Champion in June earlier than occurring to take silver and bronze on the World Championships in August within the cross-country quick monitor (XCC) and XCO disciplines respectively.
Quick ahead to the top of the mountain bike season, and she or he’s decimated the general standings in each the UCI XCO World Cup and UCI XCC World Cup with 4 victories and an additional six top-three finishes.
What got here subsequent for the burgeoning mountain bike star? Cyclocross, after all. The self-discipline by which she has already beforehand achieved elite Nationwide and U23 European and World titles.
After such a formidable 2023 mountain bike season, Pieterse felt it was vital to have differentiation between the 2 disciplines earlier than she began her cyclocross account, which resulted in her taking just a few weeks to reset earlier than her first race of the season.
“Earlier than the mountain bike season, I did not actually know the place I might stand. I used to be actually comfortable about the way it went, it nearly could not have gone any higher. It actually put issues into perspective that I could be up there with the extent that the others have,” Pieterse instructed Cyclingnews.
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“It was good to have a transparent separation between the 2 seasons as a result of in any other case, it is a bit such as you’re simply occurring and on. My kind was nonetheless fairly good, it wasn’t that I used to be too drained to nonetheless race or practice however I believe it was good to have some separation between the 2 and cargo up the batteries a bit mentally to proceed racing and it got here in fairly helpful.”
In the direction of the top of 2023, Fenix-Deceuninck named Pieterse because the chief of their ladies’s group competing throughout cyclocross and mountain biking, in a step in the direction of a ‘multidisciplinary philosophy’ for the group.
Pieterse’s private ambitions within the totally different disciplines stay on the centre of the scheduling of her calendar for the yr, and the group permit her to have autonomy in selecting a path that most accurately fits her.
“We focus on at the start of every season what the objectives are, what I would like, what they need, after which we see what’s good,” she explains. “We at all times look a bit at the way it goes as nicely. Final mountain bike season, if I wasn’t doing nicely within the World Cup standings I in all probability would have had a shorter mountain bike season, I would not have gone to the States and I might have began for instance my ‘cross season earlier.
“All through the season we at all times see the way it goes and what’s good. Normally at the start we simply make a plan after which we are able to actually make an summary of find out how to match all the things in however they only give me loads of freedom which is very nice. They provide me the complete freedom to decide on to do the identical or one thing totally different. I’ve been in a position to actually select my very own programme.”
The flip of the New 12 months introduced two clear objectives for Pieterse on the mountain bike and ‘cross circuits, whereas the bigger picture for the years to come remains undetermined.
“For this season for ‘cross, it is positively the Worlds in Tábor at the start of February. As for the street, I do not actually know. I do not actually know for the upcoming years for instance if I’ll lean extra in the direction of the street or will keep on the mountain bike, I am going to nonetheless need to see,” she stated.
“For now, the main target is absolutely on the ‘cross Worlds and after that the Olympics on the mountain bike. Then I am going to see how I’ll proceed, possibly I’ll do a season extra on the street to see how I like that, or possibly I am going to make a mix of the 2; street and mountain bike. I do not actually know but the place I’ll find yourself.”
Pieterse is a part of a very robust triumvirate of younger Dutch riders who’re turning their hand to a number of disciplines and pushing one another to new heights within the course of.
Amongst others, elite cyclocross World Champion Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease A Bike) provides strong competition for Pieterse, as does U23 cyclocross World Champion Shirin van Anrooij (Baloise Trek Lions). The 2 compete throughout each cyclocross and street biking, a self-discipline by which Pieterse additionally competed final yr and secured fifth place at Strade Bianche and one we might even see her characteristic in additional usually in future.
“We will solely make one another stronger,” she says about competing in opposition to Van Empel. “The way it’s been for the final yr for instance and the yr earlier than, it is very good to maintain seeing one another and hold competing in opposition to one another since you hold one another sharp as nicely. Additionally with Shirin as nicely, you race your race however you at all times race a bit in opposition to one another within the race as nicely. It is actually dynamic I believe to make one another stronger in that means.
“I do know now how Fem races, I understand how Shirin races. That turns out to be useful after all, however apart from the racing, we are able to actually discuss to one another fairly nicely. We’re truly pals, so if I would like some suggestions if I am occurring the street I might positively ask Shirin what I might count on for instance.”
In ladies’s biking, the likes of Ferrand-Prévot and Marianne Vos have blazed a path for contemporary multi-discipline careers. Pieterse credit their influence in addition to highlighting different present riders who encourage multidisciplinary success.
“For positive, they’re each nice pioneers of the game after all. It is extra of an inspiration, you may see that it’s attainable, identical with Mathieu [van der Poel], Wout [van Aert], [Tom] Pidcock, all of them make mixtures of the disciplines. They present that it is not inconceivable to mix disciplines or that you simply actually have to decide on. After all, it’s important to make some good choices typically, like this ‘cross season I skipped the Europeans as a result of I used to be resting from mountain bike. You’ll be able to’t at all times carry out at your prime stage, however it’s for positive attainable to do nice issues between the disciplines I believe,” she says.
“It makes full riders, and also you see increasingly more the mixtures,” she provides. “Cross and street is a very common mixture, however I additionally see within the mountain biking group there are increasingly more riders that additionally need to do possibly one thing on the street or expertise one thing within the winter in ‘cross. It’s turning into increasingly more common to do a couple of factor.
“It is also at all times very nice that you’ve a little bit of overlap between the riders within the totally different disciplines. In the summertime you see totally different riders than in winter, or some riders you see on a regular basis which can also be good. It is actually good to have an enormous group of individuals you may have a little bit of enjoyable with and discuss to. Each rider that does particularly the mountain bike World Cups as a result of it’s that a lot far and wide that they only like to journey.”
Pieterse’s expertise throughout a number of disciplines was nurtured from a younger age and as such has meant that it grew to become second nature for her to mix the three as she matured.
“My dad at all times went into the forest once I was youthful, so ultimately I went just a few occasions with him. At my native membership, there wasn’t something mountain bike associated, they solely had street racing and a little bit of ‘cross within the winter. Once I began to essentially compete at first it was simply street after which within the winter cyclo-cross. Inside two years I began to do extra mountain biking once more with the races as nicely, however as a result of it wasn’t actually supported within the membership the place I used to be, it was a bit much less. From below 17, I began doing extra mountain biking and fewer street,” she explains.
“For me, it is so regular to do all three, it would not be regular for me to do for instance solely street or mountain biking or deal with ‘cross all summer time. I do not know the way others do it or how they really feel about it however for me, it is at all times been regular so I do not actually have to consider it or concerning the stress or something, it is simply the way it has at all times been since I began competing,” she provides.
There actually seems to be to be a vibrant future forward for Pieterse in no matter path she chooses. She continues to try for an elite rainbow jersey after ending second in cyclo-cross final yr and will probably be vying to take the World title from rival Van Empel this yr on 3 February earlier than focusing on the Paris 2024 Olympics on a mountain bike in July.
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