After claiming two world titles on the observe on the mixed UCI Biking World Championships, Belgian Lotte Kopecky heads into Sunday’s elite ladies’s highway race because the odds-on favorite to take the rainbow jersey.
The double Belgian champion gained the Tour of Flanders for the second yr in a row this season in addition to the opening stage of the Tour de France Femmes with a robust solo assault on a brief, steep climb. She additionally wore the maillot jaune for six phases and completed second to commerce teammate Demi Vollering within the general standings.
With the highway race course in Glasgow stuffed with simply the form of terrain that Kopecky has used to say victories, all eyes are on her and he or she carries the load of her nation after compatriot Wout van Aert couldn’t match Mathieu van der Poel in final weekend’s males’s highway race.
Kopecky, chatting with the Belgian media, stated she has no drawback going into the race having a giant goal on her again.Â
“I take that into consideration and have resolved to not get annoyed in the event that they sit on my wheel,” Kopecky stated. “In the event that they journey on my wheel, it means I’m using in entrance and due to this fact doing nicely. It is also such a tricky course that it will not be any simpler for the riders on my wheel.”
The Dutch workforce is on her radar, with Vollering one other favorite together with Tour de France stage winner Liane Lippert (Germany) and Time Trial World Champion Chloé Dygert (USA).
“The strongest nation appears to me to be Italy, they’ve a number of quick riders who can dash if needed. I’m curious what the opposite nations will do. In the event that they open up the race shortly, as they did for the lads, it might not be to my drawback. For me, it may possibly simply be a grueling race. Though I believe it’s going to lull extra usually than it did with the lads.”
Any rider going residence from this primary mixed championships with two rainbow jerseys can be happy. However after successful the Factors and Elimination Races this week, Kopecky says she remains to be hungry for extra.
“I nonetheless really feel recent and the starvation remains to be very excessive: the observe is near my coronary heart, however this highway race is extra essential. For me, that is crucial race of the yr.”
“Suppose I do not win on Sunday, I wish to commerce these different three medals for the rainbow jersey, though that is not a prepare of thought in my head.”
At her aspect, Julie De Wilde, who’s eligible for the under-23 title, has vowed to work for Kopecky.
“I am solely right here with one purpose, which is to attempt to take the world title with Lotte within the elites. My outcomes do not play a task. Lotte additionally has the best likelihood of successful.
Kopecky stated she would return the favour if the circumstance arises.
“If the course state of affairs permits it, we should always positively not neglect that. I additionally don’t have any drawback doing one thing for Julie,” Kopecky stated.
