The Lotte Kopecky Fan Thread

[Pantani_lives]

Today she became the second Belgian winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen, after winning the Strade Bianche earlier this year. She clearly deserves her own thread. Her move to SD Worx was a good one, and at the age of twenty-six she's turned into a winner. Any more fans?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Today she became the second Belgian winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen, after winning the Strade Bianche earlier this year. She clearly deserves her own thread. Her move to SD Worx was a good one, and at the age of twenty-six she's turned into a winner. Any more fans?

I like her. I got to know her on the track, before I began focusing more on women's road cycling.

What I enjoy most about her is that despite the fact that she's a pretty good sprinter, she's in no way one-dimensional, cause she's not afraid of attacking plus she's pretty good on shorter climbs and on cobbles. This year she's obviously been helped by being part of the strongest team, but she's also spend energy on solo attacks in both Omloop (where she eventually died) and in Strade (where she was brought back initially, but still managed to hold onto Van Vleuten's wheel in Siena).

She's got 18 wins in her career, 10 of which have come in the last 13 months. She's been helped by her move away from Lotto, but she's definitely also stepped up herself and has deservingly replaced her now former track partner Jolien D'hoore as the Belgian no. 1.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Impressive performance today.
If she can climb the wall in Siena as well as last year, she might retain the Strade Bianche title next week.

 

[Pantani_lives]

If we want this thread to grow longer than Remco's we'd better start posting. Or we could say that quality is more important than quantity. As with Kopecky's victories. What a win! Going solo on the Muur is the fulfilling of a childhood dream.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

As with Kopecky's victories. What a win! Going solo on the Muur is the fulfilling of a childhood dream.

She won on the Muur in the 2021 Belgium Tour, but to attack there in this race was obviously something else.

 

[yaco]

The way she climbed must make her hard to beat in Strade.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Paging (now long-departed) Echoes!

 

[Pantani_lives]

This second Ronde was probably her best win, because she did it solo.

 

[IndianCyclist]

She needs a different team, a team that will cater to her ambitions rather than SD Worx otherwise it is just potential wasted

 

[Pantani_lives]

She needs a different team, a team that will cater to her ambitions rather than SD Worx otherwise it is just potential wasted

There have been difficult situations, like when she wasn't allowed to ride for herself in Paris-Roubaix and that sprint in the Strade. On the other hand she has also won races thanks to being in the strongest team, e.g. the Tour stage and the Tour of Flanders. I think she's quite happy at SDW now. Hopefully she'll be the undisputed leader for Roubaix next year. She could also handle the climbing classics, but Vollering is clearly the leader for those.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

She needs a different team, a team that will cater to her ambitions rather than SD Worx otherwise it is just potential wasted

Well she wouldn't have been as successful in the last two seasons if she had ridden for a different team. After Strade Bianche I wasn't sure, but now I can't see her move anywhere before her contract is up after next season. I can of course understand if AGI-SQS are even more interested in her now after the Tour she did, but I assume SDW will demand a big cheque for it to happen.

 

[peterfin]

I am not sure at all. She could have won 3 or 4 Tour stages if she had a team that was only working for her and she had also more chances to win PR and the Strade in a team with focus on het. On the other hand, I don't know how much the team quality has an impact. Does SDW stand out as much as JV does in men's cycling? Or is it the quality of the athletes that makes the biggest difference here?

 

[Tonton]

Lotte is an amazing rider, she and Niewiadoma put some fire on this Tour and made it a success. I'm a fan too.

 

[Izzyeviel]

I am not sure at all. She could have won 3 or 4 Tour stages if she had a team that was only working for her and she had also more chances to win PR and the Strade in a team with focus on het. On the other hand, I don't know how much the team quality has an impact. Does SDW stand out as much as JV does in men's cycling? Or is it the quality of the athletes that makes the biggest difference here?

More like Jumbo-Ineos combined. 4 world class riders (GC, Classic, TT, Sprinter) backed up by 4 world class domestics & the others are all race winners & future GC stars.

But for me, thats part of the fun - seeing other teams try an beat them.

 

[Pantani_lives]

What a race! Kopecky wins three world titles in one week. Her final lap was phenomenal. Everybody knew that she was strong, but that's no guarantee to win. Next year she'll ride the classics in the rainbow jersey.

What surprised me was the strong performance of Belgium as a team. Sanne Cant played a big role in the middle part, and Justine Ghekiere outdid herself in the local laps.

 

[awavey]

My one tinge of sadness, is we won't get to see the rather awesome Belgian national colours jersey SDWorx had created for her anymore, it was literally worn for only one stage of the TdFF.

 

[Pantani_lives]

My one tinge of sadness, is we won't get to see the rather awesome Belgian national colours jersey SDWorx had created for her anymore, it was literally worn for only one stage of the TdFF.

Missed opportunity. She should have held back!

 

[Gwbert]

Missed opportunity. She should have held back!

Pretty sure she’ll win the nats again!

 

[awavey]

Pretty sure she’ll win the nats again!

but she may not then be with SD Worx after her current deal runs out in 2024, Trek Lidl may nab her with a big money offer and create one of their horrid nat jerseys, or a.n.other team who shove their sponsor logos all over it.

it was beautiful,imo, so hopefully the rainbow jersey version they make will be just as awesome

 

[Gwbert]

but she may not then be with SD Worx after her current deal runs out in 2024, Trek Lidl may nab her with a big money offer and create one of their horrid nat jerseys, or a.n.other team who shove their sponsor logos all over it.

it was beautiful,imo, so hopefully the rainbow jersey version they make will be just as awesome

The Lidl ones are pretty horrid! Definitely love a decent nat jersey.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Skin suits in road races are never lovely. The design is good though.

 

[awavey]

Skin suits in road races are never lovely. The design is good though.

its the only example weve got of the design used in an actual race in this rotation of nat/wc jerseys

 

[Lequack]

Great job winning the world champs

 

[Unchained]

This woman is everything and everywhere on a bike. Her talent on the velodrome is also epic. Her smashing pedals style is a joy to watch.

 

[Ripper]

Turning the pedals in anger ...