Lotte Kopecky Confirmed to Race the Giro d’Italia Women Ahead of the Olympic Games
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
SD Worx-Protime confirmed that Lotte Kopecky, 28, will race the Giro d’Italia Women in July as part of her preparation for the summer Olympic Games. Sports manager Danny Stam spoke with Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, saying that it’s an ideal race for her.
Stam also said that Kopecky’s decision on the Tour de France Femmes is still up in the air and that she will make final plans after Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes on April 21.
“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,” Stam told the Belgian newspaper.
According to GCN, “In her top shape, Kopecky would be a major favorite for Liège-Bastogne-Liège alongside her teammate and defending champion, Vollering, but Stam is keen to point out that it has been a long spring for the Belgian.
“It is not the course that will be the deciding factor for Lotte in Liège. The mental and physical freshness after a long spring will be. She has worked towards the Tour of Flanders and Roubaix. It remains to be seen how much is left in her tank against ladies who will be relatively fresh at the start.”
But Can She Do the Triple?
Racing the Tour de France Femmes following the Giro and the Olympics would certainly make for an incredibly packed schedule. The French Grand Tour begins just a day after the omnium at the Olympic Games. But if anyone can put together such an impressive calendar, it’s probably Kopecky.
Fresh off her Paris-Roubaix Femmes win, she will spend the next days resting and recovering before ramping back up but will skip altitude. Stam said, “Lotte will not go on an altitude training course before the start of the [Olympic] Games. We will stay on the lowlands and try to let her grow to her top level through stage races.”
Stam also said that the Giro will be an important part of Kopecky’s Olympic preparations. The final stage of the Giro, which will run from July 7-14, will be just 13 days out from the Olympic time trial event. This will be Kopecky’s fourth Giro appearance. She’s finished the race twice and won a stage in 2020.
Whatever spring and summer bring, it’s Kopecky’s world; we’re just hanging on to watch.
You Might Also Like
