Puck Pieterse of the Netherlands secured her first elite MTB World Championship title in a commanding solo performance, finishing nearly a minute ahead of her teammate Anne Terpstra, with Italy’s Martina Berta taking third place.

“I cannot comprehend it yet!” Pieterse exclaimed after her victory. “I rode my own pace from the start. I thought I needed to go all-in if I wanted to win this. And I kept pushing, and apparently, it was enough. I have my first Elite UCI World title, and I’m just so happy.”

This victory adds to an already impressive season for Pieterse, who has not only claimed the European mountain bike title but also won three World Cup rounds. On the road, she recently took a stage win and the overall youth category on her debut at the Tour de France Femmes.

Pieterse initially broke away with a strong group that included Alessandra Keller (Switzerland), Candice Lill (South Africa), Sevilla Blunk, Hayley Batten (USA), and defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (France). As the race progressed, her competitors began to drop off. By the halfway point, Ferrand-Prévot and Blunk had been left behind, and Pieterse led with Lill before eventually pulling away from her as well.

On the penultimate lap, Lill slipped, allowing Terpstra to catch up. The two riders battled on the final lap until Terpstra ultimately pulled ahead. Meanwhile, Berta surged in the closing moments to overtake Lill and secure the bronze medal.

Five-time title holder and Olympic gold medalist Pauline Ferrand-Prévot finished in 14th place, marking what is expected to be her final mountain bike race before transitioning to road cycling. Despite the result, Ferrand-Prévot seemed content with her career in mountain biking as she prepares for new challenges ahead.