Puck Pieterse wins everything at the XCO World Cup Val di Sole 2025

After her victory in the Short Track on Friday, Dutch rider Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has once again shown why she is one of the great dominators of the current XCO, imposing herself with authority in the fifth round of the World Cup held on the always demanding Val di Sole circuit. The reigning world champion put on a show from the first lap and crossed the finish line with a time of 1:29:08, resisting the comeback attempts of a formidable Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team), who finished second 26 seconds behind. The podium was completed by Austrian rider Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing), third at 44 seconds.

With this victory, Pieterse manages to win both the Short Track and XCO in the last two World Cup rounds.

Puck Pieterse reigns in Val di Sole after an explosive start and a fall without consequences

The race started at a very high pace, with Pieterse, Rissveds, and Stigger taking the lead from the first climb. Already in the initial loop, the Dutch rider showed her cards and launched an attack that only Jenny Rissveds could respond to. Both quickly opened a gap, although Stigger stayed close. Despite a fall on a technical descent, Pieterse immediately recovered without consequences and did not lose the lead.

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One of the main protagonists of the day was New Zealand rider Samara Maxwell, the overall leader, who started behind in the chasing group. Lap after lap, she climbed positions with a constant and controlled pace, reaching the second place in the sixth lap, first dropping Stigger and then setting the best splits in the final laps. Although she managed to reduce the gap with Pieterse to below half a minute, she could not catch up with the world champion, who managed her advantage calmly.

Behind, the battle for the third position was intense. Rissveds, who briefly held third place after an attack in the penultimate lap, could not resist Stigger's counterattack, who reacted strongly to secure a place on the podium. Nicole Koller completed the top 5 after a very solid race.

Final classification - Women's Elite XCO - Val di Sole 2025

1. Puck Pieterse (Netherlands) - Alpecin-Deceuninck - 1:29:08
2. Samara Maxwell (New Zealand) - Decathlon Ford Racing Team - +26 s
3. Laura Stigger (Austria) - Specialized Factory Racing - +44 s
4. Jenny Rissveds (Sweden) - Canyon CLLCTV XCO - +47 s
5. Nicole Koller (Switzerland) - Ghost Factory Racing - +1:03
6. Jennifer Jackson (Canada) - Orbea Fox Factory Team - +1:31

With this victory, Puck Pieterse earns valuable points for the overall World Cup standings, while Maxwell, although she did not win, strengthens her lead with an impeccable performance.