"Puck isn't in her best form" – De Knegt on Pieterse’s mountain bike world championship defence

This weekend, Puck Pieterse will line up in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, to defend her mountain bike world title. At just 23 years old, the Dutch rider remains one of the brightest talents in cycling, though her attempt to retain the rainbow jersey has been somewhat overshadowed by Mathieu van der Poel’s push to add the mountain bike crown to his palmarès. Yet Pieterse’s challenge deserves the spotlight, even if the build-up has been far from ideal.

According to Dutch national coach Gerben de Knegt, Pieterse’s preparation has been riddled with inconsistency and frustration. He wants to see her rise to the occasion, but his assessment of her chances carries a note of caution.

"Let's start at the beginning: Puck isn't in her best form," the national coach told Wielerflits. "She's frustrated by that, and it's not nice. It's the first time in her career that she's not in the shape she wants to be. Although I have to say she's made great strides compared to the World Cup in Les Gets two weeks ago. The result of the Short Race last Tuesday was a bit skewed. Technically, she wasn't as good on the rock garden, but she always closed all the gaps. She was unlucky to be right behind that crash, because that would ruin your race."

The Dutchwoman’s season has been disrupted by her dual focus on the road and mountain biking, something De Knegt admits could be affecting her performance. Her explosive starts, once a hallmark, may not be possible this weekend.

"We're hoping, of course, that it will suddenly work out on Saturday. I do think it's possible. That will also depend on her mental state. She has to accept that she can't make a banging start like she normally does and is physically the best. She'll have to race more tactically and experience the race a bit more."

"But she's not used to that and she doesn't like it either," he continues. "I think Puck was a bit tired at the start of the Tour de France Femmes because she probably overdid her training to be good there. But it could be a combination of biting off more than she can chew, because that's what it is, of course, and then if you just overstep the mark... Well, that's what you get."

Despite the setbacks, De Knegt believes Pieterse has learned valuable lessons from this difficult season. He points to her ability to analyse herself and adapt.

"Puck is an intelligent woman. She's pretty good at pinpointing her own weaknesses. I don't think she'll let herself be caught out like that again. As an athlete, you're balancing on the edge of: 'If I do even more now, will that make me even better?' Sometimes you fall over the edge, don't you think? Earlier this week, she did tell me she's proud of herself for what she showed in the rainbow jersey, and that she enjoyed it. But she's not the top favorite on Saturday, let that be clear."

Part of De Knegt’s realism comes from the level of competition. The Dutchwoman has been facing world-class rivals week after week, and some of them look to be peaking at the right time.

"She's been competing at a very high level for weeks now. Alessandra Keller rode a surprisingly good World Short Race Championship. It was wonderful to see how the home crowd supported her there. Keller is definitely on the rise. But for me, Rissveds is truly number one. She was also sublime at the European Championships last month, and she was again in Les Gets."

For Pieterse, the goal may not necessarily be about repeating last year’s win, but about delivering a performance that reflects her true level under challenging circumstances.

"If she finishes fifth, sixth, or seventh, she's simply done very well," says De Knegt. That might sound rather cautious to the outside world. "People will say that, but you have to be honest. But if she does that and is competitive... I always say: if you can finish fifth, you can also finish third – depending on the race. But two weeks ago in Les Gets, she was really far off the winner in terms of time, albeit on a tough course. That's why we have to be realistic."