Dutch rider Puck Pieterse, Fenix-Premier Tech's leader at this year's Tour de France Femmes, is riding high in the general classification heading into today's Dijon time trial.
The 24-year-old, who finished 11th with a stage win on her debut two years ago, currently lies in ninth place, neatly nestled among the big favourites for the yellow jersey, even if stage 3 winner Sigrid Haugset lies two minutes clear of them all.
But Pieterse said before the Grand Départ in Switzerland that she wouldn't be riding for the GC this week. She refused to waver from that plan on Monday evening, having picked up the polka dot jersey during the stage.
Latest Videos FromCyclingnews
"Actually it's still the case, and the polka dot I don't know yet for sure what the plan is," Pieterse told Cyclingnews and WielerFlits after finishing among the main group of 37 riders, 2:48 behind Haugset in Poligny.
Earlier in the day, she jumped clear of the peloton twice to lead the race over the first-category Col de la Faucille and Côte de Lajoux, winning 13 queen of the mountain points in the process.
Later in the stage, once Haugset had already launched her 89km solo ride to glory, she added another three to her total, in second place over the Col de la Savine.
All in all, that added up to 18 points for Pieterse, which saw her move clear of Océane Mahé (Ma Petite Enterprise), who started the day in the lead, to don the polka dot jersey on the podium. Mahé has slipped down the standing to fourth after stage 3, and Pieterse now leads Nikola Nosková by four points ahead of stage 4.
Pieterse explained that going for mountain points wasn't a pre-planned strategy. Instead, it was a case of 'well, why not?'
"There was nothing else going on, so if there are points up for grabs, then I’m not going to let them slip by, no," she said before re-asserting that a stage win, to add to her triumph in Liège on stage 4 of the 2024 edition, is her main goal this August.
"I'd quite like to win a stage. So, if that comes at the expense of the polka dots, then so be it. But we’re taking it day by day, and it also depends on how fresh I am," she said.
"I feel good on the bike, so I hope to be able to show myself in the hills… It's a big difference from how I rode in the Tour last year, I think. I think I can definitely stay confident."
Support our unrivalled coverage of the Tour de France Femmes and women's cycling by subscribing to Cyclingnews. In return, you get unlimited access to high-quality journalism, with breaking news, race analysis, and expert insight from inside the women's peloton. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today.
