Puck Pieterse, Fenix-Deceuninck break new ground with huge deal stretching through 2027

This article originally appeared on Velo News

Triple-discipline ace Puck Pieterse pedaled into new terrain this week when she signed a contract spanning through 2027 with her Fenix-Deceuninck team.

Stretching four and a half more years, it’s the longest-known deal in the Women’s WorldTour and a further signal of the growing investment in the women’s side of the sport. Fenix-Deceuninck’s partner men’s team Alpecin-Deceuninck, home of Mathieu van der Poel, doesn’t yet have any riders signed for so long a timespan.

It seems a no-brainer that Fenix-Deceuninck wanted to tie Pieterse to the team as long as it could.

The 21-year-old dazzled all year, snatching cyclocross and mountain bike World Cup wins and finishing best-of-the-rest behind season dominator Fem Van Empel in ‘cross worlds.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Pieterse casually rode to sixth (later adjusted to fifth after Kristen Faulkner’s DQ) at Strade Bianche in a very rare appearance on the road bike.

“It’s a logical decision,” Pieterse said in a team statement Friday. “The great thing about this team and structure is that I can combine the different disciplines and have the freedom to decide myself when to do which discipline.

“In addition, with this team, I can count on an excellent environment in terms of training and coaching. I am convinced that I can continue to develop here in the best conditions over the next few years.”

Pieterse won’t be pursuing the road in 2023 after her breakout ride at the gravel-strewn Stade Bianche. The Duchwoman has mountain bike World Cups blocking out her calendar as she commits to grabbing gold in the Paris Olympic cross-country race next year.

A contract through 2027 makes pocket-rocket Pieterse the most booked-out rider in the women’s peloton.

Italian star Elisa Balsamo is signed with Trek-Segafredo through 2026 and only a small handful of riders pack contracts through 2025. Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx), Silvia Persico (UAE ADQ), and U.S. talent Veronica Ewers (EF Education-Tibco-SVB) are among the few to see their contracts stretch so far.

So get used to seeing Pietese bunny-hopping and wheelying at the forefront of your TV screen - she’s not going anywhere for some time yet.

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