"If you're not on the ground or you're not exhausted at the finish, you didn't do something right" - Puck Pieterse about the art of time trialing

Puck Pieterse managed to cross the line of the ultra-short Tour de France Femmes time trial in 22nd time of the day, 22 seconds behind the winner Demi Vollering. The Fenix-Deceuninck rider was completely exhausted afterwards.

"I do like a time trial like this," she said in front of the camera of WielerFlits. "If you’re not on the ground or you’re not exhausted at the finish, you didn’t do something right."

For Pieterse it's not so often during her season that she gets to ride on the time trial special, something she acknowledges takes a bit of special skill of its own: "It’s difficult, especially in the time trial position."

"I am used to doing this on the flat, but then you race on a mountain bike or a racing bike. But to stay in the same position in a time trial... It is so difficult to maintain the high wattages. You notice that already in the warm-up."

But still, the Tour debutant also enjoyed a good seven minutes of suffering. "I like it. When you're at the start of such a short time trial, it's a bit like a mountain bike time trial, then I can't bring myself not to go all-in."