Puck Pieterse used her superior technical skills to slip away early from the field at the UCI World Cup Round #6 event in Overijse, Belgium on Sunday. At the finish, Pieterse had more than a minute on her main rival, Fem van Empel, who finished second, and 1:36 on Shirin van Anrooij, who placed third.
How It Happened
Van Empel took the lead from the start, but it was soon evident that she was not as comfortable as Puck Pieterse in the slick muddy conditions. By the end of lap 1, Pieterse had 19 seconds on van Empel and 27 on van Anrooij. By the end of lap 2, she had 45 seconds on van Empel and 1 minute on van Anrooij. From lap 3 onwards, Pieterse’s lead grew more slowly, but she did not appear to be in any danger. The last couple of laps for Pieterse were about maintaining a steady pace until the finish. When the final finishing straight did arrive, Pieterse still had plenty of time to celebrate.
Race Insights
With winter weather arriving in Europe, conditions for the remaining World Cup races will probably not be favorable for those who lack mud skills. And this race revealed who can, and who cannot, handle slick mud.
Oddly, much like the men, the women seemed ambivalent beforehand about the course and their chances. It was almost as if they had resigned themselves to having a mediocre performance.
Fem van Empel’s performance was far from normal. For whatever reason, she was far more cautious than Pieterse on the descents and slick sections. Whether she just didn’t have the legs, or she lacked confidence in the slick conditions, is unclear. She indicated to the press afterwards that she decided early on to ride at her own pace, which seems out of character for her. Illness or fatigue? No one can say.
As we head into Round #7 this weekend we’ll see where the battle between Pieterse and van Empel heads. Other riders like Lucinda Brand may also begin to play a role as they find their fitness. The American, Clara Honsinger, the best non-Dutch finisher in 7th place, may also start to show herself.
