The Netherlands will start Saturday’s World Cycling Championships with an impressive women’s team. Yet, it won’t be easy to hold off Lotte Kopecky. The Belgian knows from experience that she can defuse the Orange team,
which will again be the objective on Saturday. IDLProCycling.com joined her press conference early Friday morning.
8:15 a.m. On Friday, the eight Belgian ladies were supposed to be ready for their World Championship press chat, as one of the few course recon events was scheduled later in the day. Of course, leading lady Kopecky was the shining center of the eight, as she will defend her title won in Glasgow last year in Zurich on Saturday.
National coach Ludwig Willems was allowed to start with his selection, listing his eight ladies individually. “I don’t need to introduce Lotte,” he explained when he arrived at Kopecky. In the ten minutes that followed, the questions also logically mainly went to the leading lady on the Belgian side.
Kopecky had scouted the course earlier this week. “When we stopped halfway, I told Ludwig it wasn’t so tough. The focus is on the first part of the course, where the highest point is. After that, there is quite a lot of turning and turning, with some short, steep hills. I had expected it to be tougher, but we might think differently after the race.”
Read more below the photo!
Kopecky analyzes Dutch team: “Can we and other countries benefit”
Thursday’s race for junior women had already been held, whereas with the men, everything was broken up. Junior races are different from ours, where it is often a race from start to finish. It is a course where team tactics can be used,” said the SD Worx-Kopecky lady.
How will they do that for the Belgians? “This race on this course is difficult to control, but we will see exactly how we will handle it during the race.” They must consider the solid Dutch team, which Kopecky is eager to build on. “They have a solid selection, but it has turned out more than once that they don’t always agree. If you look at the team now, you can also see one outspoken leading lady on paper, but other ladies have their eyes on the world title. We, and other countries, can benefit from these things.”
Saturday, we will also see another unknown factor with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. “What to expect from her? I don’t have a clue. It’s been a while since she’s raced on the road. Her level will be incredibly high, but whether she has that endurance. I do not worry about that because she is just one of the many favorites to be considered.”
Read more below the photo!
Bad weather during women’s World Championship: ”Shouldn’t underestimate that”
The weather conditions should not be underestimated either: rain is expected all day Saturday. “We shouldn’t underestimate that,” leader Kopecky maintains her compatriots sharply. “At the juniors, we already saw that a few ladies get a serious beating, and now it will be another five degrees colder, so that can affect the race. I don’t mind that, but it’s still important for us to prepare for that.”
“I have confidence because otherwise, I wouldn’t be sitting here. We start with the belief that we can extend that world title, although it won’t be an easy task,’ Kopecky said. ‘In terms of condition, I feel better again in the last two days, so I think I am in good shape conditionally. I felt horrible in the time trial on Sunday, but now I have regained confidence. I’ll take that to Saturday.”