"The goal has always been to become cyclo-cross World Champion” – Puck Pieterse ready to change Fem van Empel in 2025

Puck Pieterse began her cyclo-cross season later than ever this winter, making her debut at the World Cup Namur in mid-December. Typically starting her campaign in October, the Dutch talent took a different approach this year but was satisfied with her performance.

"I didn’t have high expectations. I hoped to compete with the front group, and I think I did pretty well," Pieterse told IDLProCycling after her race.

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Reflecting on her current form, she added, "I think today showed that my level is solid. It’s probably the same as last year. In terms of cyclo-cross technique, there’s definitely room for improvement, like accelerating quickly out of corners. But that improves with each race—the more races you do, the better you get at it."

Despite her later start to the season, Pieterse feels it was a strategic decision that worked well for her. "Ideally, I’d ride the entire cyclo-cross season. But starting later means I’m not competing for any overall classifications this year. Still, I think last year proved that beginning the season later was a good approach. You can’t do everything at once."

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Pieterse explained her choice of Namur for her season debut: "I didn’t want to miss Namur. And the previous two World Cups were farther from home, so the choice was easy."

Looking ahead, her ambitions remain firmly set on the ultimate prize. "The goal has always been to become cyclo-cross World Champion. That remains the goal every year, so it’s not something extra. But it would be amazing to achieve a mini-triple, though one of those titles is at the U23 level. Still, it would be really cool."