Pieterse wins impressively in the dunes of Koksijde, Brand and Van Empel join her on the podium
Cyclocross
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Follow us on GooglePuck Pieterse won the X2O Trophy cross in Koksijde. The Fenix-Deceunick rider was nearly faultless on the sand/dune passages of the dune cross in Koksijde. In short, it was an impressive performance by the Dutch rider. In the back, Inge van der Heijden seemingly kept up for a long time, but she did not have enough power to go. Lucinda Brand and Fem van Empel therefore battled for second place. The diesel engine of the rider from Baloise Glowi Lions was the deciding factor in the end.
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Minor differences immediately emerged after the first sand passage over the dune, a section where the riders had to climb the dune on foot. A leading group of three formed: Van der Heijden, Pieterse, and Brand. Shortly behind, Van Empel and Sanne Cant followed as a duo in pursuit.
Pieterse turns out to be a sand specialist
The next dune section became a tough one for Brand. A mistake forced her to drop out early, and she lost precious time. Halfway through the race, we saw a leading duo emerge with Pieterse and Van der Heijden, while Van Empel chased shortly behind as a loner. Further behind, the groups were already separated quite a bit.
Entering the second lap, Pieterse emerged as a sand specialist, although it was not her specialty. Van der Heijden was the only one able to stay close and followed at four seconds. Van Empel was already looking at a big gap and visibly having some trouble. In addition, she saw Brand return. They followed at twenty seconds. Further on in the field, the differences were already increasing.
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Van Empel struggled on the sand sections
Pieterse and Van der Heijden fought an exciting battle for the lead in the second lap. The two Dutch riders stayed close to each other, but again, Pieterse managed to take the lead in the second part of the course. That part seemed to suit her better than the Crelan-Corendon rider. Although the gap had narrowed earlier, it increased back to eleven seconds in Pieterse's favor as the third lap entered.
Van Empel was stuck behind on a stretch of dune, another example of a somewhat difficult race from the world champion. In the third round, Pieterse remained (almost) error-free. Meanwhile, Van der Heijden had to acknowledge her superiority and was overtaken by Van Empel, who got a little better, and Brand.
Behind Pieterse there was an exciting battle
Pieterse wins impressively
Entering the fourth lap, we saw a chasing trio 29 seconds behind the dominant Pieterse. The lead rider rode impressively strong and appeared to be on her way to her first win of the season. Behind her, the three Dutch riders were close together. Inge van der Heijden seemed the best in the sand/dune passages; Van Empel was simply the strongest, and Lucinda Brand used her experience optimally.
In the fourth and second-to-last lap, Van der Heijden eventually dropped out. She could no longer keep up with the pace of the chasers and had to let the rest go. Meanwhile, Van Empel, especially Lucinda Brand, had come closer; the difference with leader Puck Pieterse was still twenty seconds. Still, that gap seemed too large to overcome in only one lap. But it indicated that the riders of Visma l Lease a Bike and Baloise Glowi Lions were making a comeback. However, they needed a mistake from Pieterse.
But the mistakes didn't happen, so Puck Pieterse rode to victory in the dunes unchallenged and with an impressive performance. It was a welcome victory, as her last win was from almost a year ago. Lucinda Brand finished second, at nineteen seconds, while last year's winner, Fem van Empel, finished third, at 39 seconds.
Results X2O Trophy Koksijde 2025 - women
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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