UCI Mountain Bike World Series: Puck Pieterse denies Pauline Ferrand-Prevot to take Cross-country Olympic World Cup win

Puck Pieterse (Alpecin–Deceuninck) stormed to victory in the Cross-country Olympic World Cup women’s elite race on Sunday, as part of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series.

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Ineos Grenadiers) took second and Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) took third.

The top eight earned their places in the front row following Friday’s UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup women’s elite race, won by Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing).

The top eight lined up as follows: 1. Stigger, 2. Alessandra Keller (Thomus Maxon), 3. Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing), 4. Ferrand-Prevot, 5. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing XC), 6. Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing), 7. Pieterse, and 8. Anne Tauber (Orbea Factory Team).

Pieterse started as she meant to go on and rapidly went across the start line which gave her an early lead on the group. Richards looked strong on the first climb, and by the second climb the group had begun to spread out over the course. Before long Batten – starting sixth - made the early pace and went clear with Richards a few seconds behind. The American was ahead at the end of the start lap, but was swiftly joined by Frei, Richards, Henderson, and Martina Berta (Santa Cruz - RockShox Pro Team) to form a leading group.

Richards soon took the lead on the climb and ultimately dropped the group with Batten three seconds behind. With Richards ahead Ferrand-Prevot soon joined the chasing group. The British rider extended her lead from a downhill attack, and then took the second lap with a 14 second gap. She headed into the next lap solo as a group of six chased behind her.

By lap 4, Richards, Ferrand-Prevot and Pieterse were at the head of the race as Batten dropped back. Richards held a 15-second lead over Ferrand-Prevot, with Pieterse just two seconds back with just over three laps to go. The two soon joined up together as they battled to close the gap to Richards.

However, Trek Factory Racing XC rider Richards would then suffer a back-tyre puncture and, while she would get assistance in the tech zone which was fortunately just ahead of her when she noticed the puncture, she lost substantial time. Just as she went to get back on her bike, an issue with her chain further delayed her. With around 50 seconds of time lost, she dropped down from first place to ninth.

That would leave it to Ferrand-Prevot and Pieterse to fight it out for the win. Despite being chased by Lecomte, Henderson, and Keller, they completed the next lap well ahead and it was Pieterse who had a slight time advantage on Ferrand-Prevot when they crossed the line.

An attack from Pieterse in the lap that followed saw her take a slight lead but it was not enough to deter Ferrand-Prevot who soon joined her once more. It was Ferrand-Prevot who would soon open up a seven-second lead as the riders tackled the penultimate lap. In the meantime Richards, who had been in ninth, had managed to work her way back into the chasing group.

As Ferrand-Prevot retained a slight lead, Pieterse worked hard to remain within ten seconds of the rainbow jersey ahead of her. Ferrand-Prevot kept her time advantage as she went into the final lap. Pieterse valiantly brought it back to a bike length as they went through the rock section for the final time. In the group behind, Richards had gapped Keller and moved into fourth, the position that she managed to retain for the remaining lap.

While Ferrand-Prevot attempted to attack on the Whoop section, Pieterse stuck to her back wheel and then attacked to open up a small gap. She then went down the steps and retained her lead, and managed to hold the advantage for the remainder of the course that would secure her the win by five seconds.

With a clear gap between her and Ferrand-Prevot, the young Dutch rider, whose 21st birthday was only the day before, had time to celebrate her win as she crossed the line for an emphatic victory in her first-ever elite cross-country Olympic race at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series.

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