Puck Pieterse is skipping the last two XCO World Cups in 2024, but she could make history by winning what would be an incredible new version of the triple crown.
Traditionally in cycling, the triple crownβalthough not a formal awardβconsists of winning the Giro dβItalia, the Tour de France, and the road world championships. Only two cyclists have ever done so: Eddy Merckx and Stephen Roche. Roche achieved it in 1987, and Merckx did so in 1974 (and he won his rainbow jersey in Montreal, no less). Tadej PogaΔar is aiming for the triple in 2024, after having won the Giro and Tour. He will line up on September 29 to try and take the win in Zurich.
A whole lotta rainbows?
But Dutch star Pieterse is really going for it. The current 2024 world MTB champion has had a fantastic year on the road as well, finishing 11th overall at the Tour de France Femmes, winning Best Young Rider, and also taking Stage 4. Now, she has her sights set on a few more rainbow jerseys.
Is it time to rethink cyclingβs Triple Crown?
βCombining multiple disciplines sometimes results in having to make tough decisions. After a successful Tour de France Femmes, I had the choice to start at the Road World Championships in ZΓΌrich and do Gravel Worlds the week after in Belgium, or go to the XCO World Cups overseas. Being able to race at the worlds is always special and something I donβt want to miss, so I went for the first option,β she posted on Instagram. βThis, however, means I wonβt show my rainbow jersey or defend my 2nd place in the overall this year. But next year Iβll definitely be back racing the World Cups, giving it my 100 percent. Already looking forward to it.β
It would be quite a feat to be the world champion in XCO, gravel, and road. Mathieu van der Poel has already done something quite special by winning both the βcross and road worlds, but this would be something else. Pieterse was also close at the βcross worlds earlier this year, taking bronze.
Canadaβs Isabella Holmgren has also achieved double rainbowsβtwice! In 2023, she won the junior βcross worlds as well as XCO. In August, she won the short track and cross-country worlds at the under-23 MTB champs.
With Pieterseβs strong power on the punchy climbs, as weβve seen in both βcross and her first go at the Spring Classics, sheβs definitely a contender for this very special Triple Crown.
The post Puck Pieterse is going for the ultimate rainbow triple crown appeared first on Canadian Cycling Magazine.
