Pieterse doesn’t mince her words: "Aiming for victory right away" upon cyclo-cross comeback in Namur

After a long period of nothing but radio silence, Puck Pieterse is finally set to make her return to cyclo-cross. The world mountain bike champion will make her comeback in the renowned race around the Citadel of Namur. She’s been eagerly awaiting this moment. “I’m starting to feel the itch now,” she told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.

This summer marked a serious breakthrough for Pieterse. On the mountain bike, she narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal due to mechanical issues but later claimed the Cross-Country World Championship title. On the road, she casually won a stage in the Tour de France, took home the white jersey for best young rider, and also became the U23 World Champion in Zürich. “But I’m looking forward to making my reappearance in the field in Namur,” Pieterse said about her cyclo-cross season, which kicks off this weekend.

Her choice to debut at the World Cup in Namur is deliberate. “I’m motivated for every race, but Namur always gives me that little bit more. It’s one of the most beautiful courses, and I love racing there. That always brings extra motivation. And I’m starting with a clear head. Over the past weeks, I’ve been following a lot of races on TV, and now I’m eager to jump back in myself.”

Last season, the Fenix-Deceuninck rider began her cyclo-cross campaign as early as mid-October. This year, her debut comes two months later. “That’s the result of my commitments on the road and in mountain biking. Those seasons are getting longer and longer. Still, I’ll be racing almost as much cyclo-cross as last year. I don’t think I’ve ever done so many races in such a short period. This season, I’ll even take on double weekends for the first time.”

The competition in cyclo-cross is cutthroat at the moment. Early in the season, Lucinda Brand and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado fought intense battles, and now World Champion Fem van Empel has joined the fray. “I’ve seen on TV that the level among the top riders is very close. Last year, the gaps were bigger. I actually want to aim for victory right away and hope to be on the top step as often as possible. But at the same time, I’ll have to wait and see how my form holds up and how my preparation pays off. The World Championships in early February in Liévin are my main goal for the year.”

Reflecting on the summer, it was, to say the least, eventful. “I surprised myself quite a bit on the road,” Pieterse admitted. “The highlight was my stage win in the Tour. I’m happy with the progress I’ve made, both during the classics and the Tour.” For now, she plans to continue combining road racing and mountain biking. “This year, I’ve proven that competing in a spring road campaign can be combined with mountain biking. That’s exactly how we’ll approach it in 2025 as well.”

And so, Pieterse will continue to balance her time between skinny tires and knobby ones. That could change, but only under one condition. “If I ever decide to focus on stage racing, that could present a challenge. Stage racing requires a different approach, with more training camps and a greater emphasis on long climbs. That would impact the explosiveness needed for mountain biking — and cyclo-cross.”