Puck Pieterse: "I knew I would be a title contender, I have been riding podiums all season"

Puck Pieterse emerged victorious at the national cyclocross championship, crossing the finish line alone and ahead of her competitor Fem van Empel and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado.

It was her first championship in the elite category. "It was a good choice to switch," she told WielerFlits. She continues, "I knew I would be a title contender, I have been riding podiums all season. But I still had to do it, of course. Especially when there were three of us riding and I noticed that Fem and Ceylin were really not bad today, it was kind of hard to decide where to put my strength during the race."

By the third lap, Pieterse had built a comfortable lead over the other competitors. Though Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado attempted to catch up in the last lap, it was not enough to overcome the distance. "In the last lap, I did notice that Ceylin was still very close. I was half a minute ahead, then I thought: something really crazy must be happening. But of course, you still have to go full speed, because otherwise, you catch up in half a minute. Especially on such a tough course. When I saw Ceylin getting closer and closer, it was just running for my life," said Pieterse.

Her victory has not only increased her confidence but also established her as a top candidate for the World Championship title. "If you look at the season, I am one of the favourites yes. Today the pressure went well. Maybe there will be some more pressure now, but we'll have to see by then. It is still three weeks away," concluded Pieterse.