All the pieces appeared to have fallen into place for SD Worx-Protime on the opening stage at the Tour de Romandie Féminin, but when it came right down to the finish line, World Champion Lotte Koepcky wasn't fast enough to beat Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) and was forced to settle for second place in Lausanne.
“You always want to win! Of course, you're a bit disappointed if you are this close to winning. On the other hand, I think we rode a very solid race today, so we can go into tomorrow's stage with confidence,” said SD Worx's sports director, Danny Stam, after the stage.
