"This was the first cross where I felt like a cyclo-cross rider again" - Puck Pieterse has good sensations after third place in Baal cyclocross
Cyclocross
Puck Pieterse was one of the main attention drawers both prior and during the GP Sven Nys Baal. The Fenix-Deceuninck rider, who returned to action after few days out of competition due to an illness, rode alone at the front for a while, but eventually had to settle for third place. However, she was satisfied with her first cross after a complicated period.
"It took a while to figure it out," Pieterse began her story. "Eventually, you get a bit more tired, which makes it a bit more difficult. I made a mistake that allowed Lucinda to come back. She immediately saw her chance to take over. She did that very well."
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Brand once again proved her quality at such scenarios, not letting Pieterse to come back to the front again. "I was then stuck at ten seconds the whole time, until the last half lap. Then the best was gone. And Fem and Lucinda then started fighting so hard for the victory that it was also difficult to keep up when you are already at a gap."
Pieterse did not win, but was happy with her cross. "This was the first cross where I felt like a cyclo-cross rider again. I could compete for the win and I think it was one of the most exciting crosses so far. After Gavere I got sick, so I didn't know how it would go today. But apparently lying in bed all day made my form good (laughs)."
| Position | Rider | Team | Time |
| 01 | van Empel Fem | Visma | Lease a Bike | 46:51 |
| 02 | Brand Lucinda | Baloise - Trek Lions | + 00 |
| 03 | Pieterse Puck | Fenix-Deceuninck | + 21 |
| 04 | Cant Sanne | Crelan-Corendon | + 03:35 |
| 05 | Bakker Manon | Crelan-Corendon | + 04:02 |
| 06 | Kay Anna | Proximus - Cyclis CT | + 05:07 |
| 07 | Carrier Rafaelle | Canada | + 05:13 |
| 08 | Crabbe Kiona | Lotto Ladies | + 05:19 |
| 09 | Wolff Imogen | Visma | Lease a Bike | + 05:47 |
| 10 | Clouse Katie | Steve Tilford Foundation Racing | + 06:12 |
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
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
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling forRafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
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