Lotte Kopecky admits she’s had to temper her GC ambitions ahead of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes, but the world champion hasn’t given up on chasing the yellow jersey entirely. After a back injury forced her to abandon the Giro Donne earlier this month, her role at SD Worx-Protime has shifted, though the fire clearly remains.
“We’ve decided not to aim for the GC with me anymore,” she explained during a press conference in Vannes. “Right now, I’m not at 100%, and I can’t expect the team to sacrifice everything for my overall result. That’s something I’ve discussed with them, and we made the decision together.”
Kopecky had gone into the season with the Tour as her top goal, and early in the year she was being positioned as the team’s clear leader. Her spring included altitude camps and a meticulous build-up, but her Giro Donne campaign ended abruptly with lower back pain that she couldn’t ride through. “I hate giving up, but this time it was the right decision,” she admitted. “Maybe I could’ve continued, but as a precaution, we chose to stop.”
After a few days off the bike for recovery, she gradually resumed training and has recently been building back with more intensity. “The last three days, I’ve found my morale again,” she said. “I hope I can bring that with me into Saturday.”
Kopecky won’t start stage 1 as the team’s designated GC leader, but that doesn’t mean she’s writing off the race entirely. If things go well, ambitions could be readjusted. “If it suddenly goes really well this week, we can revise things,” she said. “But right now, we’re letting go of the GC plan.”
The opening stages could be pivotal regardless. Kopecky sees the terrain as well-suited to her characteristics, particularly the hilly opener into Plumelec and stage 2 into Quimper. “If I’m feeling good, those are absolutely stages that suit me 200 per cent,” she said. “I’m trying to start with as much confidence as I can, and it helps to have such a strong team around me. I still feel the support, and I need to believe in it myself too.”
Within the team, there’s still a dynamic to manage. Lorena Wiebes is another clear option for stage wins, particularly on the flatter days. But Kopecky has made her intentions for stage 1 clear. “I’ve said I want to try and win that stage,” she confirmed. “And that’s something they’ve listened to.”
Even if the overall classification may be off the table – for now – Kopecky is still targeting stage success and isn’t ruling anything out. “We’ll take it day by day. If I feel great, I don’t see why I couldn’t sprint myself. But let’s start with Saturday. It’s going to be a brutal Tour.”
Despite setbacks and revised plans, Kopecky remains exactly who she’s always been: a rider who never lets go of her ambition.
