Puck Pieterse wins the XCO World Championship 2024 with a perfect race

The Dutchwoman Puck Pieterse has just won her first Elite XCO World Championship at the age of 22. And she did it with a perfect race in which her compatriot Anne Terpstra was second and the Italian Martina Berta was third.

Puck Pieterse wins the 2024 XCO World Championship at the age of 22

After a start marked by the time change and the simultaneous celebration of the Elite and U23 races, the 2024 XCO World Championship started with the Dutchwoman Puck Pieterse taking the lead from the first meters.

The Dutchwoman tried to break away on her own during the first few laps, and managed to have several seconds of advantage while Pauline Ferrand-Prevot was very far back, outside the Top 10.

The race took on a different tone in a short time and by lap 2 Puck Pieterse, the South African Candice Lill, and the defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot were already leading the race together.

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But it was in lap 3 when we realized that this was going to be an exciting race until the end. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot suffered the consequences of her early comeback and dropped back to 10th place, while the Italian Martina Berta launched an attack from behind that allowed her to reach the third position. The Frenchwoman Loana Lecomte along with the Dutchwoman Anne Terpstra did the same and also managed to catch up to Berta. All this while Candice Lill continued to surprise everyone with a magnificent performance that kept her in second place.

In lap 4, Candice Lill suffered a minor fall in the refreshment area, losing part of the advantage she had over the chasing group. This allowed the Dutchwoman Anne Terpstra to catch up to her and overtake her before the final lap.

The bell for the final lap rang first for Puck Pieterse at the end of the fifth lap of the circuit. Her lead was just over 1 minute ahead of her compatriot Terpstra and the South African Candice Lill who were battling for the remaining podium positions.

Lill struggled a lot in the final lap, so much so that she saw the Italian Martina Berta overtake her, losing the third place.

Without further surprises, the Dutchwoman Puck Pieterse crossed the finish line first to win the 2024 Elite XCO World Championship. Anne Terpstra was second and the Italian Martina Berta closed the podium.

2024 Elite Women's XCO World Championship Results

1. Puck Pieterse (NED) - 1:09:41
2. Anne Terpstra (NED) - 1:10:40
3. Martina Berta (ITA) - 1:11:00
4. Candice Lill (RSA) - 1:11:04
5. Loana Lecomte (FRA) - 1:11:24
6. Evie Richards (GBR) - 1:11:32
7. Laura Stigger (AUT) - 1:12:04
8. Savilia Blunk (USA) - 1:12:13
9. Kate Courtney (USA) - 1:12:38
10. Rebecca Henderson (AUS) - 1:12:43