SD Worx-Protime’s Lotte Kopecky made history by becoming the first woman to win the Tour of Flanders three times.
Kopecky admitted that she was not in her best form at the Dwars Door Vlaanderen, but regardless of her personal challenges, she still showed up to run an impressive race in Oudenaarde and finished strong with an excellent strategy and performance.
With her determination, she beat three tough competitors and claimed the Tour of Flanders title for the third time, solidifying her place in cycling history.
Highlights of the race
The tournament started with the unfortunate news that defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini of UAE ADQ had withdrawn due to a series of crashes.
Moreover, a breakaway group of seven riders built a lead of nearly six minutes over the peloton early in the race. As the course became more difficult with its iconic cobbled climbs, the group started to break apart. From seven, the group was reduced to four riders, to two, until Nicole Steigenga of AG Insurance-Soudal took the lead for more than 15 kilometres before she was joined by other determined riders.
Furthermore, the peloton decreased in number because of the impressive strategies of Lidl-Trek and Movistar. The fast pace saw several riders fall behind, including Marianne Vos of Visma-Lease A Bike and Lorena Wiebes of SD Worx, who were both unable to keep up with the pace.
Kopecky rode towards the end of the peloton at first, admitting that she later worked her way into the race. This strategy worked well for her, and her teammates helped her stay in the mix, especially Mischa Bredewold. Kopecky said that she saved her energy for the final stretch.
With 17 riders left, the race made its way to the longest climb, where Kopecky was in the lead. Only three riders– Lippert of Canyon, Kasia Niewiadoma of SRAM, and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot of Visma-Lease A Bike—managed to keep up with her.
Kopecky’s energy conservation strategy paid off as she found her rhythm on the climbs. With one kilometre left, Niewiadoma sprinted early, forcing Kopecky to chase afterwards. However, Kopecky’s skills were too strong for the others, granting her a historic third victory in front of her home crowd.
In a social media post, Kopecky shared: “FLANDERS 3.0 💛”
View this post on Instagram
Fans expressed their congratulations. One commenter said, “CONGRATS!!! 👏🔥 Great day cheering for you Superwoman! 🌈🚀🥹”
Another fan noted, “Fantastic Lotte. You are the true Champion 👏🏻🏆😅 So this was the opening of your very special season 🎊”
“So proud of you!!. What an achievement!! GOAT!! 🔥” One Instagram user added.