Puck Pieterse impresses again on MTB, only world champion proves too strong as RBH rider wins men’s race

Jenny Rissveds won the Mountain Bike World Cup in Leogang, Austria, on Sunday. The Swedish world champion quickly rode away from the competition. Puck Pieterse also produced a strong race and finished second, around a minute behind Rissveds. In the men’s race, victory went to Adrien Boichis, who normally races on the road for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe.

Pieterse had already been in action on Friday in the Short Race. A poor start turned it into what she described as a “Pac-Man game,” although she still managed to move up from 21st place to eighth. Sina Frei won that race.

On Sunday, it was time for the Olympic Cross-Country race. “It’s just started raining really hard. I was wondering whether to go for faster tires, but now I’m happy with my choice. I asked the under-23 riders what effect it has on the course, but in the end you just have to take it as it comes,” Pieterse said to Eurosport shortly before the start while warming up.

This time, Pieterse got away well. She went up the climb in second position, behind Savilia Blunk. The American was then forced off her bike in the mud by European champion Jenny Rissveds and had to restart from the back. Pieterse just managed to avoid the incident and followed the Swedish rider.

Sina Frei, Friday’s winner, was also alert at the front. The Swiss rider took the lead, but after a small mistake she was passed again by Rissveds. Pieterse stayed around five seconds behind the leading pair. Meanwhile, Blunk came through further back, where she had to pass, among others, Anne Tauber and Nove Mesto winner Laura Stigger.

It remained a matter of staying careful in the mud, where Rissveds rode clear during the second lap. Pieterse then saw Nicole Koller and Alessandra Keller join her in the fight for the podium. In all the slipping and sliding, Frei in particular appeared to lose confidence, leaving Pieterse seemingly with Koller and Keller as her main rivals.

Koller eventually had to let go, while Blunk remarkably came charging back from the background toward the top five. Pieterse sensed the danger and accelerated away on the final lap, securing second place after a very impressive race.

Then it was the men’s turn, where there was a French podium. Boichis, who races on the road for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, finished ahead of Mathis Azzaro and Luca Martin.

Author: David Bavin-Hobbs - [email protected]