Felix–Premier Tech rider Puck Pieterse is one of the most technically gifted riders in the pro peloton. Whether it’s in ‘cross, road, or MTB, the Dutchwoman has some mad skills.
Much like her teammate Mathieu van der Poel, she excels around corners, down descents – and is one of the few pro women who hops barriers. In 2023, she raced her first pro road race, Strade Bianche, finishing fifth.
She spent the rest of the year in MTB, to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games. The following year, she increased her road programme, and won the white jersey at the Tour de France Femmes, as well as winning Stage 4.
Holy Puck Pieterse has some amazing skills
We’ve seen her do all kinds of wild stuff on a bike before, whether it’s in races or training. But just like van der Poel, every now and then she makes a mistake. Van der Poel was leading the 2023 road worlds en route to the win in Glasgow when he had a crash that wrecked his shoe and left fans gasping.
Thankfully he ripped off the Boa and went on to win.
Puck-Roubaix
Pieterse is getting ready for the Classics, where she will be a big favourite to take a dub. One of the races she is targeting is Paris-Roubaix – a perfect event for her. She’s had some big days thus at the Classics, with podiums at Liège–Bastogne–Liège and Amstel Gold, as well as a win at the La Flèche Wallonne Féminine. Could this be the year she wins Paris-Roubaix?
She might be thinking ahead. Because on Wednesday, when she entered the Roubaix Velodrome (or Vélodrome André-Pétrieux, if you’re being a stickler) she jokingly practised a victory salute similar to that of van der Poel. Except… well, it didn’t go well.
Thankfully she took it in stride and was laughing. She even posted the video on her own Strava. Her caption in Dutch read, “Slechte generale is een goede finale,” which translates to “A bad dress rehearsal makes for a good final.”
The women’s Paris-Roubaix will be here before you know it – April 12. And hopefully if Pieterse wins, she perfects her salute.