Lotte Kopecky describes her World Championship road race as “perfect.” While other riders crossed the finish line in Zurich shaking violently from the cold, barely able to hold on to flasks of hot drinks handed to them by soigneurs with their numb fingers, the Belgian rider smiled and celebrated with the kind of energy that – if it wasn’t for the grit on her face – might have made you question if she’d even raced at all.
The reality is that Kopecky was born for these kinds of days. While most will be trying to deposit memories of today’s World Championships deep into the back of their minds as one of the most miserable races of the season, Kopecky seemed to relish every minute of the lashing rain and plummeting temperatures. She’s proven time and time again, be it on the technical and challenging city-centre Worlds course in Glasgow last year, or on the cobbled bergs of Tour of Flanders this spring that for her, the tougher, the better.
Kopecky was raised under grey, stormy skies close to the Belgian city of Antwerp. She learnt her trade riding on slick cobbles, risking it around technical corners and spent her winters in the muddy cyclo-cross fields. Zurich’s punchy, hilly parcours and flooded roads were no match for Belgium’s staunch, dedicated champion. For another year in a row, Lotte Kopecky is the best in the world, a title she unquestionably deserves.
Image: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
But while we can laud the 28-year-old’s determination and power in the tough conditions, it wasn’t just in her physical strength that Kopecky was impressive today. In stark contrast to the questionable decisions of the Dutch team who were trying to beat her, Kopecky rode the World Championships with the wit and tactical nous of a thoroughbred bike racer.
While the likes of Demi Vollering allowed themselves to be forced into chasing breakaways down, Kopecky rode a relatively anonymous race until it really mattered. She knew that as defending champion she’d be closely marked, so the Belgian rider took a step back. Rather than anticipating, she reacted exactly when she needed to, following the most important wheels without having to make the race hard herself. Kopecky thanked her teammate, Justine Ghekiere, for helping her to do this as the younger rider got in the breakaway of the day, meaning Kopecky didn’t have to do any work behind.
“Justine was really important today, she was there in the break with two Dutch riders, it gave me the opportunity to stay calm in the bunch and also when we were with the five of us on the steep kicker I didn’t have to do the majority of the work,” Kopecky stated after the race. “Just knowing Justine was still in the front made me feel good that there was somebody there.”
Kopecky argued that it wasn’t only her legs that helped her win her second rainbow jersey today, but her head. Although the pressure was on her shoulders ahead of the race, the Belgian rider was immeasurably calm throughout the 150-kilometre route, following a frantic-looking Vollering who, in the end, did most of the work for Kopecky.
Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
“The key was to keep a ‘cool’ head, despite the fact that I was freezing a few laps from the end. I tried not to let it creep into my head,” the Belgian rider explained. “I tried not to panic when I got into trouble on the longer climb when Demi Vollering attacked. I had to ride at my own pace and hoped to get back that way.
"It was a strong group in front and there was a chance they would work together and so stay in front. But I couldn't give up. I had seen how Alec Segaert rode to the bronze medal from a lost position in the U23 on Friday. Once I got to the front again, the mental games started and it was again important to stay cool and spend my energy wisely. This is a win of the head. A second world title in a row, unbelievable.”
With her victory today, Kopecky has confirmed herself as unquestionably the best one-day racer in the women’s peloton. Of the current generation, there is no one who can handle both the pressure and conditions of major Championships like she can – it’s Kopecky’s world, and the rest of the peloton are simply trying to keep up with her. As she heads into next season with the rainbow bands on her jersey once again, the sport could scarcely wish for a better rider to be our world champion. Kopecky, in many ways, represents the perfect bike racer: a fighter, an attacker and a winner, whatever the weather.
Cover image: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
