Puck Peetersse was crowned under-23 champion in a combined race with the elite women's race at the UCI Road World Championships in Zurich on Saturday, finishing 13th, three minutes behind elite winner Lotte Kopecky (Belgium).

Pieterse's victory in the under 23 road race in Zurich came in tough conditions, with rain and temperatures of 10°C. She won the title ahead of Neve Bradbury (AUS) and Antonia Niedermeyer (GER).

“It was a very hard race and it was very cool today. I was lucky to have the help of my girls, especially in the final. I was really lucky to have Mischa [Bredewald] by my side. I got passed on the last lap and I knew it was probably going to be an under-23 sprint race. Unfortunately, I never saw the front again.”

Her result was a bright spot for the Dutch team, which missed the elite podium for the first time since 2014.

“After two years of elite world championships in mountain biking and cyclocross, it feels strange to suddenly be under 23 again. But of course it's a really nice way to end my under-23 athletic career.”

Pieters won the UCI MTB World Championships cross-country race in August, ending the 2024 season with a flourish. On the road, he took two podium finishes in the spring classics, Ronde van Drenthe and Trofeo Alfredo Binda, as well as a stage win and the young rider of the year award at the Tour de France.

“I had a very good road season in the spring classics and of course the Tour. And I'm happy to get the jersey."

He also won the Tour de France in the spring.

The UCI added a women's under-23 road world championship title in 2022, with Niamh Fischer-Black (New Zealand) winning her first title in 2023 and Blanka Vas (Hungary) taking the jersey The UCI is now adding an independent race for women under 23 independent race, which will debut in Rwanda at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships.

Off-road, she won the European MTB Championships in May, but a flat tire kept her from medaling at the Olympics, where she finished fourth.

Asked if winning the MTB and under-23 world titles made up for this, Pieterse said, “I'm really happy to have these two jerseys. But of course, it would have been best to win a medal at the Olympics as well. So it doesn't make up for it, but it's worth mentioning.”

“People saw that I was in good shape when they needed me at the Olympics. I'm really happy about that too. For the first time I didn't do anything wrong in the preparation phase and everything went well.”

“I learned how to be at my best and it's a shame that I didn't get a result after that, but I was still able to use my form at the Tour and this road world championship.”

Pieters will be aiming for his last world title of the season at the UCI Gravel World Championships next week, after which he will rest. [Unlimited access to all coverage of the 2024 UCI Road World Championships, including breaking news and analysis from local journalists, including junior, under-23, and elite time trial and road races. For more information.