Monday, July 29, 2024 at 8:24 AM
Puck Pieterse had to deal with one of the biggest disappointments of her young career on Sunday. The Dutch rider missed out on a medal in the Olympic mountain bike race due to a flat tire. In the evening, however, she was able to look ahead again. She announced (in her own unique way) that she will participate in the Tour de France Femmes in August.
Pieterse was a guest at NOS Studio Paris on Sunday evening. Annemiek van Vleuten, an analyst at the talk show, asked her what goals she still has for this year. “A tour through the Netherlands, Belgium and France with a finish on the Alpe d’Huez,” Pieterse answered with a laugh. “I’m already looking forward to that!”
For Pieterse it will be her debut in the Tour de France Femmes. The 22-year-old rider of Fenix-Deceuninck has already ridden quite a few road races this spring, and not without success. She came third in both the Ronde van Drenthe and Trofeo Alfredo Binda and recorded top-ten rankings in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (eighth), Omloop van het Hageland (tenth), Gent-Wevelgem (seventh), Dwars door Vlaanderen (fifth) and the Ronde van Vlaanderen (sixth). Her ‘worst’ result was a thirteenth place in Strade Bianche, where she finished fifth in 2023.
The Tour de France Femmes (12-18 August) starts this year in Rotterdam. There are three stages entirely on Dutch soil, after which the race heads to Belgium on day four. On day five, the riders reach France, where a tough final weekend awaits. The last stage finishes on Alpe d’Huez.
