“If I wasn’t enjoying it, I’d skip it” – Puck Pieterse joins Van der Poel in cyclocross comeback at Namur

Puck Pieterse will return to cyclocross this weekend at the World Cup in Namur, sharing the spotlight with fellow Dutch superstar Mathieu van der Poel as both make their long awaited winter debuts on one of the sport’s most iconic courses.

For Pieterse, the comeback is not about ticking boxes or chasing every race on the calendar. Instead, her winter is built around timing, feeling and peaking for one defining moment later in the season.

After last racing at the Mountain Bike World Championships in mid October, Pieterse confirmed that Namur would mark her first appearance of the cyclocross winter, following a recent road training camp in Spain.

“The idea was to see how things went during the training camp and then decide based on that whether I would make my return in Namur. I can now confirm that I’ll be starting, so that should be good,” she told Wielerflits.

Unlike many of her rivals, Pieterse is deliberately avoiding a rigid winter programme. There will be no points chasing or full calendar commitment, a choice that explains why her schedule has remained so open until now.

“I’m not really riding for a classification this winter. That gives me more freedom in choosing races. But it also means I can’t yet say exactly what I will or won’t ride,” she explained.

That freedom comes with one very clear priority. “The most important thing is that the World Championships are once again my biggest goal. I really want to be at my best there.”

In terms of race numbers, Pieterse expects very little to change compared to last season. “I’m thinking more or less the same as last year. The idea behind my cyclocross campaign is definitely the same, and I’m starting around the same time too.”

Namur was not chosen by chance. For Pieterse, the course itself was a major pull, just as it has been for Van der Poel, who also opens his winter on the demanding Belgian circuit.

“I think Namur is one of the most beautiful courses and cyclocross races of the entire winter. I really wanted to start there,” Pieterse said.

Starting before the Christmas rush was another factor. “It’s also nice to have done something before the very busy Christmas period begins.”

As for expectations on Sunday, Pieterse is confident but grounded, focusing less on results and more on confirmation of form. “Over the past three years in cyclocross I’ve been able to compete quite consistently for wins and podiums. I expect to be able to show that again this year.”

Enjoyment, however, remains the non negotiable element. “If I wasn’t enjoying it, I’d skip it and just focus on my spring season.”

Despite major victories on the road and a world title on the mountain bike, Pieterse insists cyclocross still commands her full attention once she commits to it.

“Once I’m involved in cyclocross, I take it as my most serious discipline,” she said. “I really don’t think: oh, that doesn’t matter, because I’m doing two other things as well.”

That mindset shift happens quickly. “Especially once you’re racing again, that quickly becomes the most important thing in your head.”

With the World Championships in Hulst looming later this winter, Pieterse’s return in Namur is less about spectacle and more about setting the tone. Alongside Van der Poel’s own comeback, it ensures the Belgian World Cup round will mark a defining moment in the cyclocross season.