Puck Pieterse speaks out after bottle attack on Van der Poel: “That kind of thing is just not acceptable”
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel’s third straight triumph at
Paris-Roubaix should have been the headline story from the weekend. But
instead, much of the attention has been diverted to a now infamous moment when
a spectator hurled a bottle at the Dutchman, hitting him in the face during the
race.
Van der Poel later described the incident as “attempted
manslaughter,” and the individual responsible has since turned himself in to
the police.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time van der Poel has
been the target of dangerous behaviour from fans, similar incidents have
occurred in both road and cyclocross races over the past few years.
Among those to condemn the act is Puck Pieterse, reigning
mountain bike world champion, cyclocross star, and white jersey winner at the
Tour de France Femmes. Speaking to De Telegraaf, she said, “That kind of
thing is just not acceptable. This is something different than a plastic cup of
beer, although nothing can be justified.”
Pieterse also expressed concern over the increasing
hostility riders are facing across disciplines.
“It is very sad that there are people who go to the race thinking: 'I am going
to throw that water bottle at Van der Poel later'. In women's cycling we also
experience things being shouted and thrown at your head. Last year in the Tour
de France I was riding behind Marianne Vos and a cup of beer was thrown at her
too. And in cyclo-cross, you know. At some point there are a lot of drunk
people who no longer know what they are doing.”
Away from the controversy, Pieterse has been enjoying a
strong start to her own season, even if a first win still eludes her. “That
victory is not there yet,” she admitted. “I do know that the world's best are
at the start in these races and that my places are somewhere in the top-10. I
need a really good day for that outlier.”
This weekend marks her debut at the Amstel Gold Race, and
the Dutch rider is eager to perform in front of home fans. “It will be my first
Amstel, which I am really looking forward to. Last weekend I explored the hills
in Limburg and in Liège.
“I think it is really cool that this race is in the
Netherlands. I am looking forward to that whole atmosphere with fans from our
country and of course some more friends and family will come to watch. If I can
ride on the podium here, or even win, that would be really cool.”
Pieterse also confirmed that mountain biking remains firmly
on her radar this season.
“MTB is definitely in my program. I want to perform in the classics, but a
bigger goal is to show my rainbow jersey as much as possible. These hill races
are also a very good prelude to mountain biking.”
Meanwhile, her close rival Fem van Empel recently announced
she would be taking a break from racing to prioritise her mental health, a
decision Pieterse fully supports.
“I think that can happen to anyone. I think it is often a combination of
circumstances. Fem has ridden more cyclo-cross races in the winter than I have
and has been feeling the pressure of that rainbow jersey for years.
"Road
cycling is so different from mountain biking and cyclo-cross. It should not
become an obligation, otherwise things will go wrong. I notice that I enjoy it
even more because of the variety of disciplines.”
For such a young rider, Pieterse appears to have wisdom way
ahead of her age. Perhaps that is why she is one of the most promising young
riders in the sport, and should be a star for years to come.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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