“Gent-Wevelgem suits me very well, but the Tour of Flanders remains the main goal”
For Team SD Worx the WorldTour started with a Grand Cru win for Lotte Kopecky in the Strade Bianche. “Especially the way I won that race… I even surprised myself with that. I knew the Strade suited me, but that I would finish it off like that in a direct duel with Annemiek Van Vleuten… That gives a lot of confidence for the future.”
The future, that is Gent-Wevelgem, and ofcourse the Tour of Flanders. For the Belgian champion, the period with her main goals is about to begin. “I’ve been training very hard the last few weeks. Despite the high level of efforts, I got the confirmation in Brugge-De Panne that the legs are really good.”
I have made some important steps this year. My victory In Strade Bianche gives me a lot of confidence for the future.
In 2021 and 2020 Kopecky finished second in Gent-Wevelgem, after Marianne Vos (2021) and Jolien D’Hoore (2020). “It goes without saying that the race suits me. If I start the race with feelings of revenge after those second places? No, not at all. The Ronde remains my main goal, but if I get the chance to finally win Gent-Wevelgem, I will certainly not miss out on it. The advantage of Team SD Worx is that we can play different pawns in each race.”
“I have made some important steps this year. I realise that I have earned my place at the top of women’s cycling, but I am not the type to shout that from the rooftops. I prefer to let the results speak for themselves,” concludes Kopecky.