Pieterse has great Christmas season and cracks 'Van Empel code' once again: "I never left"

Puck Pieterse is back at the top. Or perhaps, she never left? On the 26th, 28th and 30th of December, she achieved three consecutive victories in Gavere, Diegem and Hulst, respectively. It seems that she has found the key to success in cracking the 'Fem van Empel code'. IDLProCycling.com was there to witness all three of Pieterse's victories!

The supremacy of the Jumbo-Visma star seemed to be taking unprecedented forms until Pieterse surprisingly rained on Van Empel's parade on Boxing Day. "During the running, I really felt that I was struggling. I found it very difficult to maintain a constant pace there. Fortunately, other sections suited me better. That way, I could always make a difference after the climbs," the winner from Amersfoort in the Netherlands said at the time. "Actually, I didn't do anything special in training to suddenly make everything fall into place. Of course, it's the holidays now, that might help. Now my full focus is on cyclo-cross. Oh, and of course, the coffee stops and the pints of beer! I think those made the difference," she jokingly told our website.

Pieterse wanted to peak in the field over the Christmas period

Two days later, just a stone's throw from Brussels, came another success for the 21-year-old Fenix-Deceuninck rider. In the evening cyclo-cross in Diegem, there was no stopping the unleashed Dutch champion. Van Empel was not present, but that's beside the point. "The plan was to ride as hard as possible right from the start and break away that way. I knew that a gap of fifteen to twenty seconds on a loop like that in Diegem is very hard to close. It went really well," she told IDLProCycling.com afterward. We then asked for more details on her 'comeback'. "I never really left," she clarified with a big smile.

"In consultation with the team, it was decided I had to be in good shape during the Christmas period, in particular. That was when I had to make it happen, as well as in the championships, of course," she told us afterward. "The entire approach this season has been tailored to that. It remains a bit of an experiment to find out the best way to reach my peak leading up to a certain event. Everything has to be perfect for the Olympic Games. But so far, everything is on schedule, so that's great."

Mountain bike season was highlight of 2023 for Pieterse

And indeed, Pieterse has excelled during the Christmas period. In Hulst, she relegated all other world-class competitors to the lower ranks. "It's really fun to race in the Netherlands. It's cool to see so many Dutch supporters. That creates a great atmosphere," she was immensely excited about the race in Zeeland. "I hope my legs still work after Diegem. We'll see. Hopefully, we can make it a good battle. So far, I've only cracked the 'Van Empel code' once. It would be nice to do that more often. Hopefully, I can confirm the evolution of the past few weeks. The confidence is definitely there."

About two hours later, we witnessed a third consecutive hit for the versatile lady, who started an early solo but kept things very exciting. "I had a lead of between ten and twenty seconds throughout the race. And I knew that Lucinda Brand and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado would go all out in the final round. In that case, a lead like that is not much."

All's well that ends well for Pieterse, who, when asked by IDLProCycling.com for her favorite moments of 2023 - as if it were a proper year-end list - selected her highlights. "Phew, that's a tough question. If I had to choose a highlight, it would be the sum of all the World Cup stages in mountain biking. The entire mtb season was amazing, looking at all the beautiful trips we've made." And what about New Year's resolutions? "I don't have any resolutions in mind yet. I'm also not sure if I will make any. For me, it's mainly about living from race to race."