Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) took her first World Cup victory of the season, attacking when Amandine Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouwl) punctured on lap five to finish 10 seconds ahead at Maasmechelen. Lucinda Brand finished 10th, ending a 63-race podium streak stretching back to January 2024.
Elite Women Results
Maasmechelen • Jan 24
| Pos | Rider | NATNationality | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Puck PIETERSE | NED | 0:47:33 |
| 🥈 | Ceylin del Carmen ALVARADO | NED | +0:10 |
| 🥉 | Amandine FOUQUENET | FRA | +0:11 |
| 4 | Sara CASASOLA | ITA | +0:22 |
| 5 | Kristýna ZEMANOVÁ | CZE | +0:37 |
| 6 | Kata Blanka VAS | HUN | +0:45 |
| 7 | Marion NORBERT RIBEROLLE | BEL | +0:52 |
| 8 | Zoe BACKSTEDT | GBR | +0:55 |
| 9 | Shirin VAN ANROOIJ | NED | +0:55 |
| 10 | Lucinda BRAND | NED | +0:56 |
| 11 | Aniek VAN ALPHEN | NED | +1:03 |
| 12 | Annemarie WORST | NED | +1:12 |
| 13 | Leonie BENTVELD | NED | +1:27 |
| 14 | Lucia BRAMATI | ITA | +1:34 |
| 15 | Manon BAKKER | NED | +1:39 |
| 16 | Julie BROUWERS | BEL | +1:47 |
| 17 | Inge VAN DER HEIJDEN | NED | +1:49 |
| 18 | Denise BETSEMA | NED | +2:02 |
| 19 | Lauren MOLENGRAAF | NED | +2:05 |
| 20 | Marie SCHREIBER | LUX | +2:14 |
| 21 | Viktória CHLADOŇOVÁ | SVK | +2:23 |
| 22 | Rebecca GARIBOLDI | ITA | +2:29 |
| 23 | Kateřina HLADÍKOVÁ | CZE | +2:42 |
| 24 | Sofia RODRIGUEZ REVERT | ESP | +2:44 |
| 25 | Alicia FRANCK | BEL | +2:59 |
| 26 | Fleur MOORS | BEL | +3:05 |
| 27 | Vida LOPEZ DE SAN ROMAN | USA | +3:10 |
| 28 | Larissa HARTOG | NED | +3:16 |
| 29 | Kiona CRABBÉ | BEL | +3:21 |
| 30 | Anna KAY | GBR | +3:29 |
| 31 | Lauriane DURAFFOURG | FRA | +3:30 |
| 32 | Sara SONNEMANS | NED | +3:46 |
| 33 | Xan CREES | GBR | +3:46 |
| 34 | Kaya MUSGRAVE | USA | +3:47 |
| 35 | Perrine CLAUZEL | FRA | +3:50 |
| 36 | Noï MOES | NED | +3:53 |
| 37 | Zuzanna KRZYSTALA | POL | +3:55 |
| 38 | Nico KNOLL | CAN | +4:08 |
| 39 | Emeline DETILLEUX | BEL | +4:50 |
| 40 | Lucia GONZALEZ BLANCO | ESP | +4:51 |
| 41 | Mia ASELTINE | USA | +4:55 |
| 42 | Xenna DE BRUYCKERE | BEL | +5:20 |
| 43 | Lotte BAELE | BEL | +5:26 |
| 44 | Maïté BARTHELS | LUX | +5:36 |
| 45 | Nadja HEIGL | AUT | +5:37 |
| 46 | Mille NIELSEN | DEN | +5:37 |
| 47 | Adèle HURTELOUP | FRA | +5:37 |
| 48 | Lauren ZOERNER | USA | +5:37 |
| 49 | Anna MEGALE | USA | +5:37 |
| 50 | Layla BARTHELS | LUX | +5:55 |
| 51 | Theresia SCHWENK | GER | +6:38 |
| 52 | Camille DEVIGNE | FRA | +6:51 |
| 53 | Kaija BUDDE | GER | +6:52 |
| 54 | Tomke WINDELBAND | GER | - |
| 55 | Diana STEFFENHAGEN | GER | - |
| 56 | Friederike MICHELS | GER | - |
Fouquenet had matched Pieterse through most of the 50 minutes of technical racing on the fast, dry circuit. The French rider led into lap five before a rear puncture forced her into the pits. Pieterse attacked immediately.
"I saw she had a puncture," Pieterse said. "I directly passed her and placed my attack. That's also racing unfortunately, but she was super, super strong again."
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado reduced a 15-second deficit to five seconds to close on her teammate, but Pieterse's plank-hopping and quick remounts allowed her to maintain her lead. Fouquenet recovered to take third, 11 seconds down.
Tactical breakdown
- Lap 1: Leonie Bentveld (Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouwl) led out alongside Fouquenet, with Pieterse able to hold pace.
- Laps 2-4: Fouquenet and Pieterse established a 10-14 second gap over Alvarado and Sara Casasola; Brand sat 25+ seconds adrift
- Lap 5: Fouquenet punctured approaching the pits. Pieterse attacked, Alvarado closed rapidly
- Lap 6: Pieterse held 9 seconds at the bell, extended through technical sections where her bunny-hop skills created separation
Sara Casasola (Crelan-Corendon) took fourth after a difficult mid-season with illness, her strongest result since winning the Superprestige Overijse.
Brand's streak, which included 63 consecutive podiums, ended at Maasmechelen. The World Cup leader rode in a chase group and finished seventh in that group.
"It's a big relief to win a World Cup again," Pieterse said. "Last cyclocross season I couldn't win one and it made me realise how special this is."
This was her eighth career World Cup win. She and Brand are both scheduled to start tomorrow's World Cup finale in Hoogerheide before heading to next weekend's World Championships in Hulst.
Cover image - Pieterse pictured in 2024, credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
