"My goal was actually to finish in the top eight" - Puck Pieterse surprised by her performances
Mountain BikeSunday, 25 June 2023 at 04:00
You will hardly find more versatile cyclists than Puck Pieterse. Fenix-Deceuninck had won lottery with the technically very gifted youngster.
Pieterse was a guest on Eurosport podcast Kop over Kop and talked about her love for the sport, with mountain biking in particular.
"It would be nice to ride on the podium. I've ridden so little against these opponents that I really can't say I'm dominant yet. On Sunday, the strongest will prevail," she says.
In her own words, Pieterse was not completely surprised by her good performances in the first three World Cup competitions. "Last year, when I was still racing with the reserves, I occasionally compared my times with those of the elite women. Back then I rode lap times that would be good for tenth place. I also knew that I was able to improve last winter. But I never thought it would be enough to win. My goal was actually to finish in the top eight."
Pieterse, fifth at this year's Strade Bianche, certainly has ambitions on the road, although those plans are a bit further in the future. "When I turn to the road, it is really only after the Olympic Games in Paris. First I fully focus on mountain biking and cross."
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- First of all, I hope now all is ok with your baby!. Yeah, about to not accept foreign phone number is a big problem also for me. I have economic interests in 2 countries, I think that all can be ok with my Italian number... but NO! The world is globalized but not for bureaucracies.
maria2024202424-11-2024 - First of all, calm, this is a site to share point of views, doubts, intuitions about cycling. Let's think about it: if someone tells you that he is very tired but is going to run unimportant races immediately, ignoring a world championship much further away in time that would give him the opportunity to rest, there is something very contradictory. Maybe it is fair, but as a simple spectator I (and many others) do not understand it, it does not make sense.maria2024202424-11-2024
- I think the other side has said plenty, given comments about her reputation like what Renz said above. Perhaps this is her chance to speak up against that reputation? I have no idea but her comments seem pretty human, even if each person has their own version of the story.RidesHills24-11-2024
- Give her a team built around her with no competing leaders, like Pogacar has at UAE or Vingegaard has at Visma (seeing how Roglic left), and I wonder how Vollering would do. She’s already so good, and a team dedicated to her could make her even better.RidesHills24-11-2024
- Those injuries, an ability to manage pain and push himself, probably a load of TUEs to help him get back from an awful moment, and competing that hard without the long exercise base that was the norm - no wonder he was exhausted. We’ve now had two consecutive seasons of the second place rider having an injury that interrupts training, and it shows to what level their bodies are tuned for the insane task of winning the Tour. I certainly hope both (and their teams!) are healthy next year. It would be a first, after 4 years.RidesHills24-11-2024
- Winners seem to be like this. Win or lose, it is always on to the next thing. They don’t celebrate the big win, they don’t worry about the painful loss. They move on. It’s an amazing skill. But to be able to ride (and win) while not being able to walk? That’s a level of pain management that boggles my mind. Of course they have it, given what they put their bodies through, but it’s just crazy.RidesHills24-11-2024
- Poor Demi. But she behaves the same way when riding for the national team. Bring me my tiny violin.Renz24-11-2024
- good pointsmij24-11-2024
- Yes, please tell us based on your superior expertise about why JVs training and race schedule is wrong 🧐Crashjames24-11-2024
- I'd like to hear what the other side has to say.mij24-11-2024