World champion Lotte Kopecky has opted out of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes, choosing instead to concentrate on the Paris Olympics. This was confirmed by her team, SD Worx, who acknowledged the challenging schedule that would have seen Kopecky transitioning from the Olympic Omnium event to the start of the Tour in just one day.
SD Worx team manager Danny Stam explained the decision, stating, “The Omnium finishes on Sunday afternoon, and the Tour starts Monday morning. It’s nearly impossible to manage that in a good way.” He added, “Combining these two events would also be a huge mental challenge. If you then win an Olympic gold, it’s too short a day to start the Tour the next morning.”
In preparation for her Olympic focus, Kopecky will participate in the Giro d’Italia Women in July, which fits better into her training and competition schedule leading up to the Olympics. After the Games, she aims to compete at the World Championships in Zurich at the end of September.
Stam also reflected on the broader implications of the decision, noting, “It’s a challenge we’ve prepared for. While we can’t replace Lotte, we’ve ensured our team is strong enough to compete effectively in the Tour. We are fully backing Demi as our lead for the Tour, confident in her capabilities to contend for the yellow jersey. We’re building a robust team around her to start strong.”
Main photo credit: A.S.O. Charly Lopez
