“In the beginning I enjoyed the mud, but after two laps I didn’t really enjoy it anymore" - Puck Pieterse takes 2nd from Dendermonde swamp
Cyclocross
The World Cup Dendermonde course was an incredibly gruelling one this Sunday afternoon due to the wet, gloopy mud that swamped the course. One of those who tackled the tough conditions the best, was Puck Pieterse, who finished 2nd to Lucinda Brand.
Early on though, it looked for a long time like Pieterse could actually fight for victory before fading slightly towards the finale. “In the beginning I enjoyed the mud, but after two laps I didn’t really enjoy it anymore,” rhe Dutch prodigy reflects in her post-race interview. “I had a flat tire halfway through the race. Then Lucinda took a gap.”
“There were a few holes in the course, so I didn’t ride over them. But then I still got a flat tire,” she adds, noting how one such instance plagued her on the final lap. “In the last lap I thought I had a flat tire, but then I was already riding towards the asphalt. So it was sprinting from the saddle. But Fem van Empel also had a flat tire, so it was an equal battle in that respect.”
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| 01 | Brand Lucinda | - | 55:08 |
| 02 | Pieterse Puck | - | + 30 |
| 03 | van Empel Fem | - | + 41 |
| 04 | Bakker Manon | - | + 01:26 |
| 05 | Backstedt Zoe | - | + 01:49 |
| 06 | van der Heijden Inge | - | + 02:26 |
| 07 | Bentveld Leonie | - | + 02:36 |
| 08 | Norbert Riberolle Marion | - | + 03:09 |
| 09 | Cant Sanne | - | + 03:11 |
| 10 | Betsema Denise | - | + 03:13 |
| 11 | Vas Blanka | - | + 04:43 |
| 12 | Schreiber Marie | - | + 04:46 |
| 13 | Fouquenet Amandine | - | + 04:48 |
| 14 | van Alphen Aniek | - | + 04:34 |
| 15 | Mani Caroline | - | + 05:47 |
| 16 | Wolff Imogen | - | + 06:06 |
| 17 | Brouwers Julie | - | + 06:25 |
| 18 | Crees Xan | - | + 07:04 |
| 19 | Peeters Jinse | - | + 07:29 |
| 20 | De Beer Jamie | - | + 07:31 |
| 21 | Valade Alexandra | - | + 07:40 |
| 22 | Van Sinaey Xaydee | - | + 08:34 |
| 23 | Van De Steene Kim | - | + 08:44 |
| 24 | Crabbe Kiona | - | + 08:50 |
| 25 | Vervloet Sterre | - | + 09:14 |
| 26 | Baroni Francesca | - | + 09:25 |
Lucinda Brand wins in Dendermonde 🥇
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) January 5, 2025
✔️ Solo win in tough muddy conditions
✔️ Extends her overall @UCIcyclocrossWC lead
✔️ Yet to be off the podium this season
📸 @gaetan_sportpic #CXWorldCup #FLCS pic.twitter.com/vaX6qFwyoi
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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