Lotte Kopecky has withdrawn from the Giro d’Italia Women following stage 5, with SD Worx-Protime confirming the decision was made as a precaution due to persistent lower back pain. After playing a decisive role in Lorena Wiebes’ second stage win in Monselice, the world champion will now take several days of complete rest before resuming preparations for the Tour de France Femmes.
According to the team’s medical staff, the discomfort is not considered serious and should subside with recovery. Kopecky’s manager, Danny Stam, had first flagged the issue after stage 4 to Pianezze, when she lost over 19 minutes and noticeably struggled on the final climb.
“Lotte has pain in her lower back; that’s why things didn’t go as they should on the climbs,” Stam told Het Laatste Nieuws on Wednesday. “Under these circumstances, there was little point in going all-out on the finishing climb, and Lotte chose to take it easy.”
Despite the discomfort, Kopecky started stage 5 and rode aggressively, making the front split in the echelons. She delivered the final lead-out for Wiebes in the reduced bunch sprint and still finished fourth herself, behind Wiebes, Vos and Lippert. Earlier in the race, she had taken second in Bergamo (stage 1) and third in Trento (stage 3), underlining her form even without full fitness.
SD Worx-Protime confirmed the withdrawal on Thursday evening, stating:
“Lotte Kopecky will not start tomorrow’s sixth stage of the Giro d’Italia Women. The world champion is still experiencing some discomfort in her lower back. As a precaution ahead of the Tour de France Femmes, she is leaving the Giro d’Italia Women to take three to four days of complete rest.”
Kopecky has been open about her ambition to target the yellow jersey at the Tour de France Femmes, which starts on July 26th in Vannes. Her entire 2025 season has been tailored around that objective, with a delayed start to her racing calendar and limited stage race exposure. Aside from the Giro, she’s only ridden the Vuelta a Burgos, as she opted to skip most of the spring stage races in favour of a slow build-up.
The decision to leave the Giro early mirrors her approach to long-term goals over short-term gain. Last season, Kopecky finished second overall at both the Tour and the Giro, proving she can climb with the best when fully fit. Whether she can return to that level by late July will now depend on how quickly she recovers.
Her withdrawal is undoubtedly a loss for SD Worx-Protime in Italy, but it secures the bigger picture. Wiebes continues to target more sprint opportunities, Van der Breggen has moved up to third overall, and Kopecky steps back with valuable form already in the legs. The question now is whether her back can settle in time to support her Tour ambitions.
