As the curtain rises on the Spring Classics, Lotte Kopecky will arrive at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad with renewed enthusiasm, motivation and strong morale as she returns to a 'wildcard' role with SD Worx-Protime in 2026.
She has said goodbye – at least for now – to the pressures of being in a Tour de France Femmes leadership role, in favour of her beloved one-day races, with her eyes set on a fourth win at the Tour of Flanders, another chance at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and a third road world title at the Montréal World Championships.
"It feels much better. There will still be pressure, but last year, there was a lot, and I knew I wasn't at the level I wanted to be. I feel good. I'm happy. I'm motivated. I'm hungry to race. So, mentally, that is a big difference," Kopecky told select members of the media, including Cyclingnews, in a roundtable interview at the start of the season.
Her renewed outlook is a stark contrast to the injured, low morale, and high stakes of last year, where she challenged herself with an all-in goal to pursue the yellow jersey, but which never quite got off the ground due to a series of setbacks: a lingering knee injury, severe back pain and a fractured vertebra.
"When I was sitting here last year [January], I was not even riding the bike. Physically, I was just not good enough. I tried to limit the losses, but I lost all my winter training. For me, it had followed me all season. That was the main problem," Kopecky said, noting her withdrawal from the Giro d'Italia and last-minute switch from leader to support rider at the Tour de France.
"It didn't turn out how we wanted, that is for sure. I'm happy I tried it. Now we know it is probably not something for me, it is also not in my head - at this moment - that I want to try it [again]. I think if I ever do it again, it will be after I see the course and know that it is really something that I can do. If the climbs are too steep, then it's good to say, 'forget it'."
Kopecky is not negating her notable performances in previous Grand Tours, where she finished second overall at the Tour de France in 2023 and the Giro d'Italia in 2024, in both races climbing with the best on iconic ascents of the Col du Tourmalet and the Blockhaus. But she explained that in both races, she was not a designated leader, and she had the freedom to create her own success without the added pressure.
"I love to be the wildcard, to be honest. These were races where there was no pressure on me; where I could do everything I could, but it didn't matter if I got dropped or not," she said.
"The team is changing to climbers and GC riders, and it will be harder to get this wildcard position, but I liked it much more at the Tour and the Giro, where I was second twice. For me, it was a much more relaxed way. It is too much of a risk for me to go all-in for a Grand Tour."
So this will be a year of possibilities for Kopecky, who has chosen to return to her roots - the Spring Classics - in good health, top form, and with an itch to win as many one-day races as she can.
"I have a lot of possibilities in the Spring Classics. I think it was nice to improvise for one year, but now I want to get back to what I'm good at and where I know I can be really confident," she said.
"These are races that I really love to do, the races I like the most, and the most important part of the season will be the first three months. Those are the races that I am looking forward to. Then there are the World Championships in Canada.
"I'm hungry to race again and hungry to win again. 2025 is what it is; it wasn't great, but it wasn't extremely bad either. I'm looking forward to 2026."
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