Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) was reflected on time lost during the opening lap after she finished second at the women's UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Dendermonde.
The 23-year-old is starting to hit top form and took her first World Cup podium of the cyclo-cross campaign two days earlier, with third place in Gavere.
Pieterse has ridden a reduced cyclo-cross programme this season, following her road racing and mountain bike schedules in 2025.
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Her shortage of overall World Cup points resulted in a second-row start for the Dutch woman and a battle to hold position in the second group on the fast course.
Ahead, a front trio of Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions), Amandine Fouquenet (Arkéa - B&B Hotels Women), and Célia Gery (AS Bike Racing - France Literie) had a first lap advantage of 15 seconds on the opening laps before Brand seized her opportunity and went alone to build an unassailable advantage.
"My start was not super and I got boxed in a bit. That made me lose quite some time I think,” Pieterse said.
"In the second or third lap, when I was about to make the gap to the leaders, when Lucinda looked back, and she went for it.
"On this course, five seconds is a big gap. I already knew that before the race, so at one point, Lucinda had 12 seconds. Then I had to chase again. I never actually got that gap closed again.
"On the television, you think 'why doesn't she sprint' towards her. But 12 seconds on such a fast race course is so much."
Pieterse posted the fastest second lap in the race of 5:33 before Brand made her winning move and edged out a further six seconds with the quickest lap of the race (5:29).
The Fenix-Deceuninck rider attempted to ride across to Brand but was losing several seconds each lap.
Fouquenet joined Pieterse in a bid to repeat her second position from Gavere two days earlier.
However, Pieterse’s power and technical ability on the final lap was too much for her French rival as she claimed second, 11 seconds behind Brand.
"I just decided to play it for second," said Pieterse. "I stayed in the wheel bit, tried to recover and then attacked on the last lap.
"It was nice (battle for second), I really felt like I was in the mix again, that is what I race for.
"I think I had a better first half (of the race) and then Amandine (Fouquenet) came back and I could watch some lines of hers.
"She is so strong on the straights. If you can ride in the wheel, it is always easier than riding in the lead.
"I knew where I was quickest and where she was a bit quicker and took advantage of that."
Pieterse was seen beforehand checking out the lines on the course with Fenix – Deceuninck teammate and Dutch compatriot Tibor Del Grosso.
The Dutch national champion said that it was good to learn from her male compatriots.
"Occasionally, he has lines that I see differently, and then you can just get a better race line," she said.
Since its introduction to the cyclo-cross World Cup, the course in Dendermonde has been renowned for its deep mud and long running sections. However, a prolonged dry spell in Belgium resulted in the course feeling more like a criterium with hard ground and fast corners.
Ahead of the race, Pieterse said that she preferred conditions in between both extremes.
"I think 'cross can use some mud. In previous years, it was really very extreme here, in terms of how deep you sunk into the mud, there was almost no cycling to mention.
"But this is also the other extreme, so something in between is actually optimal."
Pieterse will be hoping to retain her Dutch national championship jersey next month before aiming for gold at a home world championships.
Pieterse will then repeat her Spring Classics campaign, after winning La Flèche Wallonne Féminine, finishing runner-up in Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, and third in the Amstel Gold Race in 2025.
