Millie Couzens claims British national titles
21-year-old Millie Couzens’ first pro win is no other than the British national road title. She took the victory in Aberystwyth with an impressive sprint where she beat three-time consecutive champion Pfeiffer Georgi.
“I’m so happy, it’s not the way I thought it was going to go, so it’s a good week,” said Couzens in a post race interview. “There was a point when the break had quite a big gap and I was worried, but luckily, I had help from a few other teams and [FENIX-Deceuninck teammate] Flora [Perkins] to help control it a little bit. I’m so grateful for Flora, without her I don’t think we were going to bring them back.”
Couzens’ national titles in both elite and U23 categories come three days after she claimed the U23 individual time trial jersey.
Her FENIX-Deceuninck teammate Carina Schrempf also delivered a strong performance, finishing in third place. Both are expected to race on the Austrian national road championships, which will take place on June 29th.
Christina Schweinberger wins the Austrian National ITT Championship!
Austrian rider Christina Schweinberger was crowned, for the second time in her career, national time trial title champion. The 28-year-old completed the 25.4-km-long circuit in Frauenkirchen in 31 minutes and 39 seconds.
“We spent a lot of time thinking about which wheels to use before the race, because the wind was definitely a decisive factor. We took a risk, and it paid off. After the turn, I still had some reserves, and I was able to make the most of them,” said Schweinberger in a post-race interview. “My goal was today’s time trial title. Now I can go into Sunday’s race completely without pressure. I’m not the fastest sprinter, but with the Giro in mind, it’s perfect preparation.”
Her FENIX-Deceuninck teammate Carina Schrempf also delivered a strong performance, finishing in third place. Both are expected to race on the Austrian national road championships, which will take place on June 29th.
Puck Pieterse makes mountain bike history!
At 22 years old, Puck Pieterse wrote a page of MTB history by becoming the first woman to win two consecutive UCI World Cups in both cross country olympic and short-track races.
Following her back-to-back XCO and XCC victories at the World Cup in Leongang, Austria, the FENIX-Deceuninck rider secured another double win in Val di Sole, Italy. “It’s quite cool,” said the current XCO world champion about her “double double” in a post-race interview.
An outstanding record that adds to a brilliant 2025 MTB season, which has seen Pieterse on the top of the podium in seven occasions so far, including the Dutch National Championship XCC.
Puck Pieterse triumphs at La Flèche Wallonne
Puck Pieterse took her first Spring Classic victory in in her début at La Flèche Wallonne Femmes. After conquering Mur de Huy, the 22-year-old FENIX-Deceuninck rider won by launching a powerful and impressive late attack 150 meters from the finish line.
“I went to the Mur in fourth or fifth position and saw [Juliette] Labous working really hard to give a good pace to for Demi [Vollering], and then I decided to move into their wheel. I had to wait, and wait. I kept thinking, if I’m hurting, they are hurting as well. And at around 150 meters to go, I planned my attack to stay clear,” she explained after the race, adding “I think I did everything well this race, I attacked where everybody says you have to attack, so I listened to my sports directors for a change.”
Her victory, the first of the 2025 road seasons, was special. “Last year, I won a stage in the Tour [de France] but to win a Spring Classic is, of course, maybe even bigger,” Puck said.
Van der Poel conquers for the third time in a row the Paris-Roubaix
Mathieu Van der Poel made history by winning Paris-Roubaix for the third time in a row. With an incredible solo attack 60 km from the finish, he crossed the line alone in the legendary Roubaix Velodrome.
“I never could have dreamt of this as a child,” Van der Poel reflected in a post race interview. “I was super motivated for this year. I wanted to show the jersey in a nice way but yeah, this goes beyond expectations and I’m a bit lost for words actually.”
Despite a bottle thrown at him during the race, he stayed focused and showed the strength of a true champion by conquering the Hell of the North. This victory confirms his place among the greatest riders in history and highlights the strong teamwork of all the Alpecin-Deceuninck.
Solid FENIX-Deceuninck performance at Superprestige Gullegem
Four FENIX-Deceuninck riders lined up at Telenet Superpestige Gullegem and all delivered top and strong performances. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado earned a hard-fought third place in a race that saw her leading the first four laps. Her teammates Yara Kastelijn, Puck Langenbarg and Marthe Truyen finished 8th, 10th at 11th respectively.
With these results, Alvarado slipped by one point to second place in the Superprestige standings. The series’ winner will be decided in the eight and final race in Middelkerke, which will take place on February 8.
Puck Pieterse wins X20 Trofee Duinencross Koksijde
A nearly perfect race in the sands dunes of Koksijde led Puck Pieterse to a spectacular solo victory, her first of the season. She dominated the X20 Trophy course from the start, steadily incrementing her lead after the first lap and a half.
The 22-year-old FENIX-Deceuninck rider crossed the finish line 20 seconds ahead of Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lion) and almost 40 ahead of Fem Van Empel (Visma | Lease a Bike).
“I felt great on the bike today. My form has been improving over the past races, and I’m incredibly happy to win again! I think I’m slowly getting ready for the championships,” said Pieterse.
Her teammate Marthe Truyen finished in 8th place, after only her 6th race of the season.
Puck Pieterse starts the year with a podium!
X2O Trofee Baal GP Sven Nys, the first CX race of 2025, saw Puck Pieterse cross the finish line third. She had a perfect start and led the race before a crash set her back.
“This was the first cross (race) where I felt like a cyclocross rider again. I could compete for the win, and I think it was one of the most exciting races so far. I got sick after Gavere, so I didn’t know how it would go today. But apparently lying in bed all day did my form good,” said Pieterse.
Baal also marked the FENIX-Deceuninck debut of Puck Langenbarg, who signed a four-year contract with the team. At 18 years old, the reigning European junior road champion will continue developing her skills while combining cyclocross and road racing.
Ceylin Alvarado’s 9th victory of the season in Mol
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado is on fire! Braving the rain and the cold, the FENIX-Deceuninck rider won in the sands of Superprestige Zilvermeercross in Mol, Belgium, with 34 seconds over Dutch national champion Lucinda Brand. This was her ninth victory of the season, and the second of the week after the World Cup in Zonhoven.
“I am very happy,” Alvarado said, who has won four our of five races of the Telenet Superprestige series, which she leads with 72 points. “I heard that Brand had fallen, but she wasn’t running that far at that point, so I thought for sure she would still be able to catch up. She didn’t, so that was the moment for me to open the throttle.”
Her teammates Yara Kastelijn and Marthe Truyen, who started their short CX season over the weekend, finished 9th and 14th respectively. Overall, strong results for the team.
The next Superprestige race ius scheduled on December 30th in Diegem, Belgium.
Ceylin Alvarado conquers the sand in Zonhoven
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado won her second World Cup race of the season in a spectacular comeback in Zonhoven, Belgium. A hard-fought end with Zoe Bäckstedt and Lucinda Brand, who she caught up with in the second half of the race.
The Dutch FENIX-Deceuninck rider, who was sick the day before during a race in Hulst, was surprised with her eighth victory of the season. “I was feeling very cold during the first two laps today, then I picked up the pace and naturally warmed up,” Alvarado said in an interview. “Today is not yesterday, when I vomited out everything in me twenty minutes before the race in Hulst. I didn’t expect to win today, so that’s an even better victory.”
Her teammates Puck Pieterse and Marthe Truyen finished fifth and 32nd, respectively.
