Puck Pieterse: "I knew I would be a title contender, I have been riding podiums all season"
CyclocrossSunday, 15 January 2023 at 16:39
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.
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- Anyone who thinks the Giro is a training camp for the Tour, for Vingegaard, is not right in the head. First of all, he is not Pogacar and secondly, UAE will send almost A team to make Jonas life miserable and make the race difficult. If the danish fisherman competes in Giro, his chances drop from 20 to 2 percent. I also read some foolish statements that the 2026 Tour is against Pogi and I'm dying of laughter. 2026 is the most ideal Tour that Pogi will ever ride. Not a single stage is difficult except 20st. Everything else is made for UAE to control. Every mountain stage has 30-40km of easy terrain before the last climb.NikkoNicco11-01-2026
- it doesn’t matter what Jonas is doing with the houses, the article is trash. and the fact that he is buying houses in Denmark with no criticism makes everyone’s point all the stronger. it is Tadej’s life. he isn’t breaking the law. he can live where he wishes how he wishes. and his “side” isn’t quoted, which especially irks me. it makes it sound as if he is living in Monaco just to cheat taxes. maybe he is there because it is an ideal training base year round. or any other number or reasons. and, it happens to be a good financial decision.mij11-01-2026
- Unbelievably I remember people saying 2024 Pogi was avoiding Jonas by riding the Giro. Seriously why wouldn’t Jonas ride the Giro? Only GT he hasn’t won. It’s a pretty obvious and logical move.mobk11-01-2026
- it must suck to have to admit that the time to win is only going to be a result of someone else’s retirement, not improved skill or speed.mij11-01-2026
- National champs are supposed to be individual events, rider v rider not raced as teams.wipperman9511-01-2026
- National champs are supposed to be individual events, rider v rider not raced as teams.wipperman9511-01-2026
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First national elite title for Puck Pieterse! Huge congratulations! 👏 #AlpecinDeceuninck
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