Puck Pieterse skips World Cup in Benidorm, Mathieu van der Poel also still uncertain

Gerben de Knegt has announced the Dutch team selection for the World Cup cyclocross race in Benidorm. Puck Pieterse will skip the race in Benidorm following her fall in Huijbergen, while Lars van der Haar will also not be participating after his silver medal at the Dutch National Championships. Mathieu van der Poel is on the list, but a final decision on his participation has yet to be made.

On Sunday, Pieterse was still undecided about competing in the World Cup in Benidorm. What is certain is that she will travel to Spain this week to focus on her training there. Newly crowned Dutch champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado will start in Benidorm, as will World Cup leader Lucinda Brand. Normally, Shirin van Anrooij will also be returning to Benidorm.

Van der Poel will decide on his participation later this week, says head coach De Knegt in the press release. He is registered as a precaution. "The official registration for this World Cup closes this afternoon. If you are not on the list by then, late registration is no longer possible. That is why, in consultation, we decided to solve it this way," he concludes.

Van der Poel is currently the leader in the World Cup. In the standings, he holds a ten-point lead over Thibau Nys and a thirteen-point lead over Michael Vanthourenhout.