Racing World

Nove Mesto World Cup: Puck Pieterse puts Ferrand Prevot behind

First stage of the World Cup cross country: The 20-year-old asks for an exemption not to race in the U23s and beats the world champion head-to-head in the last lap! Third Loana Lecomte.

Written by

David Finetto

May 14, 2023

credits: UCI Mountain Bike World Series

I just wanted to give it my all today. I trained hard this winter. My goal is for the end of the year but I knew I was strong so I just wanted to start the season well

Puck Pieterse held off Pauline Ferrand Prevot on the final lap

In the women's elite race, it was Briton Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing XC) who took the early lead until a puncture on lap four reopened the race as the Briton lost more than a minute and then struggled to find the rhythm.

It was a 2-man challenge between the Dutch Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and the French Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers), with the young Dutch beating the French during the last lap. The world champion, the French Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers) had to settle for silver, while the European champion, the French Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) completed the podium.

tom pidcock nine met — Pauline Ferrand Prevot

I do not know what happened. Normally my start is good, but everyone was so fast that I thought I wasn't on the day. Then I recovered and Pauline and I kept switching places, with Evie Richards unlucky. Suddenly, I was faced with not knowing what to do, so I just tried to keep calm and it worked – Puck Pieterse

Runner-up Pauline Ferrand-Prévot said: “I just wanted to give it my all today. I trained hard this winter. My target is for the end of the year but I knew I was strong so I just wanted to start the season well.

ORDER OF ARRIVAL

Written by David Finetto

[email protected] I am a fan of everything that has 2 wheels: at a young age I practiced road and track cycling (Italian Allievi champion). At the age of 18 I passed into the cross country competing at national/international level as an Under23. Past Elite, I made the choice to take things more lightly from a training point of view, and my love for gravity disciplines was born, training me as an FCI MTB instructor and guide. Now I have made passion my profession by managing 2 MTB centers on the island of Elba (Bike Center Elba and Elba MTB), creating the FANTAmtb and telling in an ironic but professional way everything that revolves around MTB thanks to 365mountainbike and 365TV (YouTube'PULITI dentro BIKER fuori').