Puck Pieterse looked incredibly strong in the women's mountain bike at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Sadly for the 22-year-old Dutchwoman however, a late puncture ended any hopes of a medal. As is the case with most sports though, there is no time to dwell on disappointment, with the next goal just weeks away.
"Look, I had some bad luck during the Olympic Games and I will have to deal with this emotionally, but it's not like I broke five arms or anything. I don't have to make a hard comeback," assesses Pieterse herself in conversation with the official website of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes, after her inclusion in the Grand Tour was confirmed. "There is little time for self-pity now, because the Mountain Bike World Championships are already two weeks after the Tour. I think I will only get around to the mental recovery process after that.”
A prodigious talent across multiple different discipline, just what is the ceiling for Pieterse on her Tour de France Femmes debut? Although she's yet to win a senior race on the road, top-10 finishes at the likes of Strade Bianche, Tour of Flanders, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Gent Wevelgem point to the 22-year-old's immense potential.
“I will probably get a free role. It would be nice to really compete at the front in the tougher stages," says the Fenix-Deceuninck rider, who is likely to be joined the team's star riders, Yara Kasteleijn and Pauliena Rooijakkers. "I don’t have the pressure to take the Yellow Jersey, for example. If I lose half an hour in the first stage, it doesn’t really matter. Then I can set other goals again. The nice thing is that nothing has to be done.”
Whilst the Yellow Jersey may admittedly be out of reach for Pieterse, the White Jersey for Best Young Rider, will be something she has more than one eye on. "It is really cool to experience, especially because I am still a promise. Do I secretly have ambitions for the white jersey? As I said: losing time in the general classification is really no drama. But if I were to go for something, it would be the youth classification," Pieterse concludes.
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