Thrilling battle sees Pieterse put in blistering final lap at Hoogerheide, Zemanová takes career-best result
Puck Pieterse wins the Women’s Elite UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Hoogerheide on January 25, 2026. (Photo: Iris van den Broek / ANP / AFP)
Published January 25, 2026 07:44AM
Puck Pieterse made it two from two this weekend, winning the final round of the UCI cyclocross World Cup in Hoogerheide on Sunday.
The Fenix-Premier Tech rider put in a blistering final lap, attacking in the S bend section and acing it from there to the finish line. Her lap time for the finale was a full four seconds faster than the next best time in the whole race, gapping Kristýna Zemanová (VIF Cycling Team) and Amandine Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen – Altez Industriebouw Cycling Team) and setting her up for another big win.
She crossed the line six seconds ahead of Zemanová, who took a career-best result. A tiring Fouquenet held off a hard-chasing Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-SRAM Zondacrypto) for third.
Pieterse’s double victories this weekend give her a huge morale boost prior to next week’s world championships, giving her the chance of improving on her bronze medal from last year.
“I didn’t have that one yet, so cool to do it now,” she said of the Hoogerheide win.
She then explained her tactics on the final lap.
“I had the feeling I was quicker on the corners after the big bridge. So I wanted to be in front there and go for it because I didn’t want to sprint against Amandine or Zemanová.”
World Cup leader Lucinda Brand was absent after appearing tired in Saturday’s Maasmechelen race, chosing to rest in advance of the worlds. Also missing was Ceylin Alvarado, second to Pieterse on Saturday.
Brand had already secured enough points to win overall, ending the competition with 366 points. Aniek Van Alphen took second with 269, while Fouquenet overtook Alvarado for third.
A thrilling contest on a challenging course
Kristýna Zemanová (Team Crelan – Corendon) is riding into great shape prior to the world championships (Photo: Luc Claessen/Getty Images)
The course was a tough one with several steep uphills and descents, as well as a stair section and a testing off-camber stretch near the finish. Despite those challenges the race stayed tight early on, but Fouquenet and Pieterse were always either on the front or close to it.
Also very strong was Sara Casasola (Crelan-Corendon), the diminutive Italian champion showing her strong power to weight ratio on the uphills and the stairs. She pushed the pace on lap two and led over the start/finish line to begin lap three. Bäckstedt was also riding well.
As the race went on Pieterse, Fouquenet and Casasola traded the lead, with the Italian looking on course for one of her best results of the season.
However she slid out coming onto the road section at the end of lap 5, hitting the ground and losing 11 seconds by the time she reached the start/finish line.
She chased hard but her chances of a podium finish were gone. Instead Fouquenet and Pieterse were the most prominent on the penultimate lap, with the Frenchwoman getting an advantage when Pieterse made a mistake on the off camber section heading towards the bell.
She attacked hard and while Pieterse and Zemanová got back to her, she looked very strong. However she faded dramatically once Pieterse put in her big race-winning move, with Zemanová instead emerging as the next strongest and racing on to a career-best second place by the line.
“It is absolutely amazing and unbelievable,” the Czech rider said. “I didn’t feel so good during the race, so it was a big surprise that I could manage it to the second spot. I am really happy and it is dream to be on the podium in the World Cup.”
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