Puck Pieterse seventh in mountain biking in the Czech Republic, Milan Vader finishes 37th in return | sport

The road to the Paris Olympics started before Pieterse Washer (20) tonight in Czech Nove Mesto. This is where she kicks off her MTB campaign and it’s far more important than her career on the road at the moment. ,,I made the Games a big goal, which doesn’t leave much room for road racing.”

Laura Stigger was the strongest in Nevo Mesto. An acceleration on the last lap was enough for the Austrian champion to stay ahead of Alessandra Keller, Sina Frei and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.

Anne Tauber finished eighth behind Pieterse. Anne Terpstra, who narrowly missed winning the overall World Cup last year, came in thirteenth. The result of the short race also determines the starting grid for Sunday’s cross-country race.

Milan Vader finished 37th in his first World Cup appearance since September 2021. The 27-year-old Middelburger had to undergo lengthy rehabilitation after being put into an artificial coma after a heavy fall during the Tour of the Basque Country in April 2022 .

Victory went to Olympic champion Thomas Pidcock, number two in Liège-Bastogne-Liège a few weeks ago and number three in the Amstel Gold Race on the road. Britain’s Ineos won for world champion Samuel Gaze of New Zealand and Germany’s Luca Schwarzbauer.

The World Cup competitions, of which Nove Mesto is the first, count towards qualification for the Paris Olympics next year.