“She will definitely ride Strade Bianche again next season" - Puck Pieterse set for bigger road profile in 2024 according to Philip Roodhooft
Cyclocross
Puck Pieterse finally took her first win of the winter on Boxing Day in Gavere, ending the winning streak of her compatriot Fem van Empel in the process.
“It was clear in the last few races that Puck was coming. Even though she hadn't won yet, there was no nervousness or anything like that on her part," reflects a delighted Philip Roodhooft in conversation with Wielerflits. "Of course she likes to win, you can see that in her way of racing. That is sometimes a bit hasty, even in recent races. But she was nearby, that was clear. And then you know that sooner or later it will be worth it.”
Still just 21 years old, Pieterse has quickly become one of the stars of women's cyclocross. In her limited experience of World Tour racing on the road, the Dutchwoman has also impressed, notably finishing 5th at Strade Bianche Donne in 2023.
"She will ride for part of the road season and then come the Olympic Games on the mountain bike. And she is still young, so we want to be careful," says Roodhooft of his rider's plans for 2024. “She will definitely ride Strade Bianche again next season. We also want to expand her program a bit, but we don't want to commit too much in advance. We want to wait and see how she comes out of the winter.”
“Her road program should not disrupt her preparation for the Olympic Games. And we also have to do everything right in the longer term. Anyway, we hope she will compete in more races than last season. We expect that too. We saw in Strade Bianche last year that it makes sense to continue working on this. And very importantly, she really enjoys doing it,” he concludes. “Last year it was a real voyage of discovery and you could see that she really enjoyed it. We put no pressure on her at all. She prepared well then, but of course it was not yet 100%. She had no ambitions then because there were no reference points. Now those two things are there. In any case, we think it is a good next step.”
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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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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Puck Pieterse shines with joy! 👏 #CXWorldCup
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