Sunday May 12, 2024 at 8:45 PM
Update Puck Pieterse has won the women’s European Mountain Bike Championships for the second year in a row. The only 21-year-old Dutch woman was in a class of her own in abysmal circumstances in Romania, which allowed her to extend her European title by a year. Her major competitor Pauline Ferrand-Prévot started furiously, but was countered by Pieterse and eventually dropped out after a crash.
Most eyes at the European Championship were on defending champion Puck Pieterse and reigning world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. Earlier this week they also fought a battle in the Short Track race at the European Championships; then the victory went to the Frenchwoman and Pieterse took silver.
This Sunday, the Romanian Cheile Grădiștei was hit by pouring rain, making the course very muddy. That made the race extra tough and Pieterse and Ferrand-Prévot emerged on the first lap. However, the Dutch made too many mistakes, allowing the French top favorite to pull away in the second round.
Pieterse regains his composure and sees Ferrand-Prévot give up
For a while the gap was 20 seconds, but Pieterse fought back on the wheel on the third lap and then went all out at Ferrand-Prévot on the next lap. Pieterse’s lead quickly increased when the Frenchwoman crashed on a steep descent. After that, Ferrand-Prévot lost his rhythm completely, allowing Pieterse to pull away for more than a minute and a half. Not much later PFP from the match.
Nothing, except bad luck or a crash, stood in the way of a new European Championship title for the Amersfoort native. She then had to brave the dense fog in Romania. That made the final a bit tougher. The battle for the other medals took place well behind the big favorites.
Anne Terpstra, among others, was in a chasing group, but the Dutchwoman crashed on the rocks in the third round. She sank, but still fought her way to sixth place. Austria’s Mona Mitterwallner secured the silver and Germany’s Nina Benz captured the bronze.
The next big goal for mountain bikers is the Olympic Games at the end of July in Paris. The Mountain Bike World Cup is scheduled for the end of August in the mountainous Vallnord, Andorra.
EC mountain bike 2024 in Cheile Grădiștei, Romania
Elite women results
Puck Pieterse in 1u28m09s
Mona Mitterwallner op 1m11s
Nina Benz op 2m14s
4. Nicole Koller at 3m28s
5. Greta Seiwald up 4m34s
6. Anne Terpstra at 5m21s
cc @OutOfCycling 🐶
Elite women’s XCO European champs pic.twitter.com/V7SoiDCwWR
— amylaurenjones (@amylaurenjones) May 12, 2024
UPDATE
Almost all the big names were missing among the men. However, the Italian team was still very motivated after the silver medal in the team relay and sent Simone Avondetto into the battle. He had to do the job in just as hellish conditions as his female colleagues. There was less fog, but the course was actually even wetter.
Avondetto also completed the work and became European champion in the bleak rain. For the 23-year-old Italian, it is his first major success as a professional, after he became world champion in the U23 category in 2022.
However, it was Simon Andreassen who may well take home the prize of moral winner. He got off the starting blocks fastest and was alone in the lead for a long time. However, a flat tire caused a significant setback, in both places and time. He could still fight his way back to the silver medal, but not further than that.
EC mountain bike 2024 in Cheile Grădiștei, Romania
Elite men results
Simone Avondetto in 1h14m57s
Simon Andreassen on 50s
Julian Schelb at 1m07s
4. Thomas Griot op 1m14s
5. Maximilian Brandl op 1m46s
