We knew the muddy Dendermonde cross would be grueling—Pieterse and Van Empel proved it

Sunday, 05 January 2025 at 16:55

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Behind the unstoppable Lucinda Brand, Puck Pieterse and Fem van Empel battled in an intense duel for second place at the Dendermonde World Cup. While one faded from the lead, the other staged a comeback in the muddy race in East Flanders. In the end, Pieterse prevailed, but both riders faced their share of bad luck.

Pieterse started strong and initially enjoyed the muddy conditions. "At first, yes, but not so much after a few laps," she shared in her flash interview. After taking the lead early in the race, she eventually fell back. "I got a flat tire halfway through, which gave Lucinda a gap on me. In the final lap, I was battling with Fem. I thought I had it, but when I hit the asphalt, I realized I had another flat. So, it came down to sprinting in the saddle, but later I saw that Fem also had a flat. It was a fair fight in the end."

Brand mentioned after the race that the crowd's energy gave her a boost, and Pieterse echoed the sentiment. "There were so many spectators, especially on the sections where you had to run over the hills—it was packed. That makes it really special." Unlike other races where explosiveness can win the day, this muddy course demanded a different strategy. "It’s more about feel. This is the kind of course where it’s hard to sprint from corner to corner. It’s all about finding a rhythm and hoping you can maintain it."

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Lucinda Brand was the best in the Dendermonde World Cup.

Could there have been more without the flat tires? "I’m not sure about that. I think everyone dealt with something. For Fem, that rear flat tire definitely played a role, but for me, it was the same with losing connection to the lead group." Brand might skip the Dutch National Cyclo-cross Championships, but Pieterse won’t. "It’s on the schedule, yes," she confirmed.

Van Empel struggled with her health: "A very unusual race"

Van Empel also had a strong race. Battling through the mud is what it’s all about. The world champion enjoyed it but admitted it was a tough day. "It was quite heavy." Her start wasn’t ideal; she immediately fell back half a minute in the first lap. "That wasn’t the plan. I had a good start, but I don’t know what happened. My body was completely in shock. I haven’t been feeling great the past few days, so maybe it would have been better to start a bit slower. It was a very unusual race. I didn’t panic and just tried to get back into my rhythm."

She managed that reasonably well, but mechanical issues made third place the best she could achieve. "I was never really up with the leader—first Puck was in front, and then Lucinda. I caught up to Puck, took over, and then got a rear flat. At the end, I had another flat on the front, which was frustrating." Among the podium finishers, Van Empel is the only one who’s certain about whether she is participating in the Dutch Nationals. "I’m not riding it; it’s a deliberate choice," she stated clearly.

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Fem van Empel Fenix-Deuceninck

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'.

Bram van der Ploeg | Lindkedin | Email

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