SD Worx-Protime team leader and world champion Lotte Kopecky was fairly clear coming into the Giro d’Italia Donne: stage wins, and probably not the general classification, were her focus. However, after stage 5, she sits just three seconds behind the coveted maglia rosa.
Kopecky trails Italian favourite Elisa Longo Borghini, with Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig 35 seconds behind her, and last year’s runner-up Juliette Labous 46 seconds back. These riders are more noted for their climbing abilities, whereas Kopecky’s strengths are in fast finishes and lumpy courses. Despite this, her sixth-place finish on the Tourmalet at the Tour de France Femmes last year and her victory atop Jebel Hafeet at the UAE Tour Women earlier this season make her difficult to rule out even with the tough ascents ahead.
Kopecky’s Perspective
“I am here to prepare for the Olympics. This stage win is a boost. I am now three seconds off leader Elisa Longo Borghini, which is a nice position,” said Kopecky, who is also wearing the red sprinters’ jersey, in a quote shared on social media by SD Worx-Protime. “I am realistic that the next three days will be very tough. I don’t feel any pressure towards the general classification. I am trying to recover as well as I can.”
SD Worx-Protime also has Niamh Fisher-Black targeting the challenging mountain stages. She is currently seventh overall, just 1:07 behind the leader, Longo Borghini.
Upcoming Stages
The stages ahead present significant opportunities for both gains and losses. The lumpy stage to Chieti on Friday, the queen stage finishing atop Blockhaus on stage 7, and even the final day’s terrain in the Apennines offer chances to alter the general classification standings.
“Tomorrow will already be a hard day, and Saturday for sure with the Blockhaus climb. I’ve never ridden it before, but if you look at the profile, you can see it’s a tricky climb,” added Kopecky.
Saturday’s stage 7 features 3,600m of vertical elevation gain, tackling the Blockhaus slopes twice. The first ascent is up to the Lanciano Pass, which is 12.4km at an 8.3% gradient with a maximum of 13%. The second climb adds another 5.3 kilometres at 7%, making for a total climb of 17.7 km.
“I’ll see how far I get. I have nothing to lose,” Kopecky concluded.
Main photo credit: Getty