Dutch rider Puck Pieterse has decided not to travel to Rwanda for the 2025 road world championships in September. Instead, she is opting to concentrate on the mountain bike worlds, where she aims to defend her title.
“In consultation, we decided to remove the worlds from her schedule,” Dutch women’s road coach Laurens ten Dam told NOS. “With the mountain bike Worlds and everything else coming up for Puck, it was becoming too much. Of course, it’s disappointing, but we’ll still need her in the years ahead.”
Ten Dam has called up Riejanne Markus as her replacement. “I’m very pleased with that. She’s strong and the glue of the team,” he added.
Pieterse is quite the versatile rider. She races on the road, mountain bike, and cyclo-cross. She recently finished 24th overall at the Tour de France Femmes. Earlier this year won the Flèche Wallonne ahead of Demi Vollering and Elisa Longo Borghini.
Last year, she became world champion in the under-23 road category in Zürich, finishing 13th overall with the elites.
The news comes just a day after the Danish national team announced that it would not be sending any riders to the time trial—only focusing on the road race. Danmarks Cykel Union (DCU) announced in February it would not be sending under-23 or junior riders due to the high cost and logistical difficulties with travelling to Africa. The 2025 road worlds are the first ever in Africa, but several other riders have also said they won’t be going. Former world champions Mathieu van der Poel and Mads Pedersen are opting out, along with former medallist Wout van Aert.
At one point, the 2025 road worlds were rumoured to be cancelled due to the conflict in neighbouring Congo. However, the UCI remains steadfast that the race will proceed as scheduled. Will more riders bail? The startlists are getting shorter and shorter by the day.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…