SD Worx-Protime is known as the number one team in women’s cycling, but the leading riders of the formation will be splitting up over the next week and a half to represent their respective national teams at the Olympic Games. This means that Demi Vollering and Lorena Wiebes will compete against Lotte Kopecky, just as they did at last year’s World Championship, which was won by the Belgian.
"An Olympic medal is still missing from my resume, so it goes without saying that this is my goal," Kopecky stated. "The Olympic Games, along with Paris-Roubaix and the World Championships, are my main goals this season. I have planned my year to prepare optimally for Paris 2024. I chose the Giro d’Italia to prepare for the Olympics. The fact that I competed for the overall victory until the last day shows that my form is good," said the Flemish rider.
Kopecky attended a press conference for the Belgian cycling team on Thursday afternoon. She confessed that she contracted Covid-19 after the Giro Donne. "I’m not too worried about it because I’m now immune for a while. The first days after the positive test, I took it easy, but last weekend on the track, everything felt good. So, I don’t think it will have any consequences," she reassured the Belgian fans via VTM.
Facing a strong Dutch block in the time trial on Saturday, Kopecky realizes that winning gold for Belgium will not be easy, despite her strong time trial in the Giro. "It won’t be easy to win a medal. If I know I’ve given everything, it doesn’t matter if I finish third or eighth. Then I can’t have any regrets. A medal would be great, but if that doesn’t happen, I still have two chances here," she said, referring to her track ambitions later in the Olympics. "It’s just a matter of fighting with yourself. It’s a mental issue."
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The Netherlands has a strong team, including Vollering, Wiebes, Marianne Vos and Ellen van Dijk. "The Olympics are an important goal for me. As preparation, I completed a high-altitude training camp in Brides-Les-Bains. There, I focused only on training, eating, sleeping, resting and recovering. Everything needed to be in optimal shape at the start of the Olympics," said Vollering.
The winner of the Tour de France Femmes will compete in both the road race and time trial. "It’s difficult to assess my chances. In the time trial, I’m not sure where I stand, but a top-five finish is definitely possible. The road race course isn’t really suited to me. It suits my teammate Wiebes better. But who knows, I might play a role by being in a breakaway."
Finally, Wiebes, who has also prepared meticulously. "The Olympics are a main goal in my career. I’m going for gold. The course in Paris should suit me. I prepared for the Olympics by spending three weeks in a high-altitude chamber at Syncrosfera and training in the Spanish heat."
"In the Baloise Ladies Tour, I felt that my form is really good. I gained a lot of confidence from my five victories. In the final weeks leading up to the road race, I want to add those last few percent to my form with some targeted training. It would be a dream to become the Olympic champion," concluded the Dutch rider.
2024-07-26T23:19:42Z dg43tfdfdgfd