Puck Pieterse wins a highly contested race in Hoogerheide

Last test of the Cyclocross World Cup that Puck Pieterse claimed, certifying the double victory in Hoogerheide the weekend before the World Championship. The race was marked by the absences of the already crowned World Cup winner, Lucinda Brand, and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, who opted for an extra day of rest before the world event.

Double victory in the final weekend of the CX World Cup for Puck Pieterse, who is aiming for the World Championship

With the Cyclocross World Cup already decided in the women's category and the absences of Lucinda Brand and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, combined with the non-selective nature of the Hoogerheide circuit in dry conditions, the race presented itself as completely uncertain to close the World Cup.

In fact, half of the race was contested with hardly any differences, and no cyclist could break away until, after the halfway point of the race, the constant attacks between Amandine Fouquenet and Puck Pieterse began to create gaps, making it clear that the outcome would likely be decided between the two of them.

RECOMENDADO

How to watch the Maasmechelen World Cup: Van der Poel seeks to decide the overall today

Top Chinese brands you should know

Gravaa declares bankruptcy: the automatic inflation system that won in Roubaix and the Gravel World Championship fails to establish itself

The Unibet Rose Rockets team unveils two new bikes

Why has the Strade Bianche 2026 removed kilometers of gravel?

The legendary Cinelli Supercorsa returns to sale more than 70 years later

However, as often happens in these cases, the hard attacks were followed by pauses that caused the race to regroup, with no clear indication of who could take the win. It was necessary to wait until the last curves of the penultimate lap when Puck Pieterse made a mistake on a mid-slope section leading to the finish straight. At that moment, Fouquenet attempted to launch an attack that seemed decisive.

However, the Dutch rider managed to recover and catch up to the Frenchwoman, with the unexpected presence of Kristyna Zemanová on her wheel, who had been having a good season as a regular in the top 10 but without the indication that she could challenge for the podium.

Final lap was a fierce battle between Amandine Fouquenet and Puck Pieterse until the Frenchwoman's engine gave out, and Puck Pieterse managed to open gaps that proved decisive. Zemanová pursued, but without the option to catch a unleashed Pieterse, who confirmed with a new victory that her form heading into the World Championship is optimal. Amandine Fouquenet was so depleted that she nearly ceded the third step of the podium to Zoe Backstedt.

Cyclocross World Cup Standings – Hoogerheide

1. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) 51'54''
2. Kristyna Zemanová +06''
3. Amandine Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) +10''
4. Zoe Backstedt (Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto) +11''
5. Shirin van Anrooij (Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions) +18''
6. Viktória Chladonova (Visma-Lease a Bike) +29''
7. Sara Casasola (Crelan-Corendon) +33''
8. Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) +35''
9. Rebecca Gariboldi (Ale-Colnago) +37''
10. Marion Norbert Riberolle (Crelan-Corendon) +38''

Final General Classification of the Cyclocross World Cup

1. Lucinda Brand (Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions) 366 points
2. Aniek van Alphen (Seven Racing) 269 points
3. Amandine Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) 255 points
4. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Premier Tech) 234 points
5. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) 225 points
6. Shirin van Anrooij (Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions) 218 points
7. Leonie Bentveld (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) 203 points
8. Kristyna Zemanová 185 points
9. Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) 169 points
10. Manon Bakker (Crelan-Corendon) 157 points