Lotte Kopecky secured a dramatic stage 6 victory at the Simac Ladies Tour today, sealing the overall title in Arnhem just one day after crashing in stage 5. The world champion’s ten-second time bonus at the finish put her atop the general classification, knocking Franziska Koch out of the yellow jersey.
The 145.8km stage began with two large laps in the countryside around Arnhem, followed by seven shorter laps of an 8.1km circuit through the city. The rolling terrain and short climbs offered several opportunities for attacks, and the riders didn’t hesitate to make their moves.
The first real action came with Jeanne Korevaar taking the QOM points on the second lap, continuing her dominance in the mountains classification. Soon after, Ilaria Sanguineti launched a solo attack, gaining a lead of 1 minute 32 seconds at one point. However, her escape was short-lived, with the peloton reeling her back in as they entered the finishing circuit.
As the race hit the shorter laps, it was Silke Smulders who made the most dangerous move of the day. Smulders broke away with 39km to go and quickly built up a lead. With a maximum gap of 43 seconds and two laps remaining, she was not only leading the stage but also temporarily in the virtual lead of the general classification.
Behind, SD Worx set a fierce pace to close the gap for their leader, Lotte Kopecky. Christine Majerus and Femke Markus worked tirelessly to bring the peloton closer, gradually reducing Smulders’ advantage. With just one lap to go, the gap was down to 24 seconds, and the chase was on.
In the final kilometres, Smulders was still fighting at the front with a 12-second lead. However, as the peloton ramped up its speed, she started to tire. With only 3km left, the chasers were closing fast, and by the time they hit the flamme rouge, Smulders had just seven seconds left.
It wasn’t until the final 20 metres that Kopecky, led out by her teammate Lorena Wiebes, managed to surge past Smulders, winning both the stage and the overall title. Smulders, who had led for nearly 40km, was caught in the last moment and crossed the line in fourth place, a valiant effort that fell just short.
Photo Credit: GettyFranziska Koch, the previous race leader, gave everything in the final sprint but couldn’t hold on to the yellow jersey, finishing the tour in second place overall.
After the race, Kopecky praised Smulders’ incredible effort, saying, “Silke was very strong. I think I won this lap in the last centimetre.” She added, “The whole team had to give everything to close the gap. It was very close, but just enough.”
Reflecting on her victory, Kopecky said, “It was absolutely the right decision to race today. I rode a bit this morning and felt OK, so there was no reason not to start. It’s a fantastic way to finish the road season.”
Franziska Koch, who lost the yellow jersey to Kopecky by just two seconds, acknowledged the challenge of the final stage. “We knew it was going to be a hard fight today. The girls left everything on the road for me, and we just missed a fast finish to take away the seconds,” she said. Despite the disappointment, Koch added, “I think we can be proud of how we raced as a team, and I’m very grateful for the hard work the girls did for me.”
The race also marked the final professional appearance for Christine Majerus, who played a key role in Kopecky’s victory. Kopecky paid tribute to her teammate, saying, “Christine is a fantastic teammate and an amazing person. We’re going to miss her, but I’m so glad we could win this for her.”
2024 Simac Ladies Tour Stage 6 result
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2024 Simac Ladies Tour GC result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
