SD Worx-Protime have confirmed that Lotte Kopecky will ride the Giro d’Italia Women in the lead-up to her big goal of the Paris Olympics but her participation in the Tour de France Femmes remains unknown.
Sports manager Danny Stam confirmed the Belgian’s participation speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws, with a decision to be made on the French Grand Tour after she makes her debut at Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes on April 21.
“Lotte [Kopecky] will ride the Giro. An ideal race to score and improve stage wins yourself,” Stam told the Belgian newspaper.
“There is no long list for the Tour yet because certain riders are injured and it is not yet clear whether they will be fit. After Liège, I will sit down with Lotte and talk about the Tour. The most important thing is what she wants.”
Kopecky was imperious at the Tour in 2023 as she won the opening stage, claimed the green points jersey and finished second overall behind teammate Demi Vollering.
However, she’s been doubtful about her participation ever since the dates and route were announced last year, due to close scheduling with the Omnium track event at the Olympics.
The last of four Omnium races finishes on August 11, just one day before the start of the Tour de France Femmes in Rotterdam. Kopecky definitely wants to ride, but conceded in October that “the Tour is every year while the Olympic Games are only once every four years”, making it a tough decision.
In contrast, the rebranded Giro d’Italia Women fits perfectly with Kopecky’s Olympic goals, running from July 7-14 for eight stages of racing. This would give Kopecky three weeks to reach her absolute peak for the Olympic road race in Paris on August 4.
She missed the Italian stage race in 2023 but has raced it there in 2019, 2020 and 2022. The Giro was also where she took her first of many WorldTour wins on stage 7 four years ago while still riding for Lotto Soudal.
Fresh off the back of her thrilling Paris-Roubaix victory, Kopecky is next in action during the Ardennes Classics at the Amstel Gold Race and Liège.
Despite Kopecky being the long-term project at SD Worx-Protime having signed a contract extension until 2028 with Vollering set to depart the team in 2025, she’ll play second fiddle to her Dutch teammate in the hilly Classics.
“Demi is our leader in the Ardennes. We hope to win at least one victory with her,” Stam said. “From now on, Demi is the leading lady and Lotte is a shadow leading lady. An important role. I still expect something from Lotte.”
Despite missing out on a third consecutive Tour of Flanders, Stam assured that the season has already been a success for the World Champion with big wins added to her palmarès.
“There was a lot of pressure on our team and Lotte as world champion, but she won Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix. Then you can call it a successful campaign,” he said, before admitting that it isn’t the Ardennes’ terrain that could be Kopecky’s undoing, but her form after a tough Classics campaign.
“It is not the course that will be decisive for Lotte in Liège, but the mental and physical freshness after a long spring. She has been working towards the Tour of Flanders and Roubaix. It remains to be seen how much is left in her tank compared to those who will be relatively fresh at the start.”
