Injured Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) will not start at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Benidorm this week, the Dutch federation confirmed on Monday, whilst Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) is yet to decide on his participation.
Pieterse is out of action after crashing out of the lead at the Dutch national championships on Sunday. She managed to hold on for second behind new champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Premier Tech), but flipped over her handlebars and injured her back.
As a result, she'll miss the next round of the World Cup, as her low-key cyclo-cross campaign continues. The Dutchwoman only started in December, and has been in the top five on several occasions, but only taken one win so far, at the Superprestige in Diegem.
The question now is whether she will return to cyclo-cross in time for the World Championships in Hulst on January 31, or just refocus on the fast-approaching mountain bike and road racing seasons.
In the Dutch team's selection for the men's race in Benidorm, Mathieu van der Poel is registered to take part, but his actual participation is yet to be confirmed.
"Mathieu van der Poel is currently listed as part of the group of Dutch riders competing in Spain, but his actual participation is uncertain," the federation's press release said.
Benidorm was one of the races that Van der Poel provisionally included on his cyclo-cross programme at the start of the winter, with a decision to be made closer to the time. Van der Poel is currently in Spain training.
"Mathieu will decide later this week whether he will actually participate," national coach Gerben de Knegt said in the same press release.
"However, official registration for this World Cup closes this afternoon. If you are not listed, it will no longer be possible to register later. That's why we've decided to resolve this matter this way."
Van der Poel has started nine cyclo-cross races this winter and started every single one of them, so he would be the favourite for another win in Benidorm. However, with the road season fast approaching, his focus going forward is likely to balance the end of the cyclo-cross campaign with his goals on the road.
Van der Poel is still in line to race the World Championships, where he will be chasing a record-breaking eighth cyclo-cross world title in Hulst on February 1.
