“She will definitely ride Strade Bianche again next season" - Puck Pieterse set for bigger road profile in 2024 according to Philip Roodhooft

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.”