Lotte Kopecky and Axel Merckx were married on Tuesday morning at Bruges City Hall, taking the next step in a relationship that became public earlier this year.
Kopecky, 30, and Merckx, 53, have been a couple since last year. The wedding was held quietly in Bruges, with the Belgian world champion adding another major personal moment to a year in which she has spoken openly about finding stability away from racing.
Kopecky and Merckx make relationship official
Kopecky had already discussed the relationship earlier this season, explaining that her private life had changed in a positive way.
“I am someone who can be alone, but it is definitely a lot nicer with two,” Kopecky said earlier this year. “I don’t come home alone anymore. I am very happy. There is now someone I can rely on and with whom I can also share the difficult moments.”
Those comments gave a rare public insight into a rider whose career has often been defined by focus, discipline and the pressure of carrying Belgian expectations. Kopecky has become one of the leading figures in women’s cycling, but her comments around Merckx suggested that balance away from the bike has become increasingly important.
She also said that turning 30 had given her a different sense of perspective.
“I have turned thirty and have life experience and stability,” Kopecky said. “In many ways, it is only just beginning.”
Merckx has been present through Kopecky’s season
Merckx, son of Eddy Merckx and a former professional rider himself, has been present at several of Kopecky’s races this year. That included February’s European Track Championships, where Kopecky was again successful on the boards.
His own cycling background gives the relationship a particular context. Merckx understands the pressures of elite racing, the rhythm of training and competition, and the emotional demands that come with life at the top level of the sport.
“Understanding each other without having to explain everything makes a big difference,” Merckx said earlier this year. “The most important thing is the balance we find together. If you are happy in your private life, you are automatically better at your work. That applies to everyone, in every profession.”
That point has been visible in how Kopecky has spoken about the relationship. Rather than presenting it as a distraction from racing, she has framed it as a source of stability and support.
A personal milestone during another major season
The wedding comes during another high-profile period in Kopecky’s career. She remains one of the defining riders of the women’s peloton, capable of winning on the road and track, and still central to Team SD Worx-Protime’s biggest ambitions.
Kopecky’s ability to move between disciplines has long been part of her appeal. Her track strength gives her tactical sharpness and finishing speed, while her road career has developed into one of the most complete in the sport. That combination has made her a rider who can win Classics, target championships and remain a threat across a wide range of race styles.
The marriage adds a personal chapter to that sporting story. Kopecky has often spoken with care about the need for balance, particularly as women’s cycling becomes more professional, more demanding and more scrutinised. Her relationship with Merckx has clearly become part of that balance.
Private happiness alongside public pressure
For Kopecky, the timing is notable because she has increasingly become one of the most visible athletes in Belgium. That brings expectation as well as admiration. Every major race she starts now carries attention, analysis and pressure, particularly when she competes on Belgian roads or at major championships.
A stable private life does not remove those pressures, but it can change how a rider carries them. Kopecky has spoken about having someone to rely on during difficult moments, while Merckx has spoken about the importance of happiness away from work.
That does not make performance automatic. Elite cycling still depends on training, recovery, race craft and form. But for a rider already operating at the highest level, a calmer environment can help create the conditions needed to keep performing consistently.
Kopecky and Merckx’s wedding in Bruges was deliberately quiet, but it will still attract attention because of who they are within Belgian cycling. One is the country’s biggest current women’s cycling star. The other carries one of the most famous names in the sport. Together, they have now made official a relationship that had already become part of Kopecky’s wider story in 2026.
