Belgian Lotte Kopecky prepares for a second consecutive season wearing the rainbow jersey after achieving her three main goals in 2024: victories at Paris-Roubaix and the UCI Road World Championships, as well as an Olympic medal at Paris 2024.
The Team SD Worx Pro-Time rider, who also finished at the top of the 2024 UCI Women’s WorldTour individual ranking - she will remain the last winner of this ranking, which will no longer exist from 2025 -, talks about her enjoyment, her progression and the desire to one day win a Grand Tour.
How much did you enjoy the year 2024?
Lotte Kopecky (LK): Very much actually! It's been an amazing year on the bike: some really really nice victories, nice Olympic Games, then the second UCI Worlds title. I think it's even more than I could have dreamt of. So it's been an amazing year.
To what extent did you surpass your ambitions?
LK: The biggest goals were, of course, Paris-Roubaix, the Olympics, and the World title. And these are three goals that I achieved. So it was nice to be able to be in my best form at those moments.
If there's only one achievement to remember...
LK: Paris-Roubaix.
What makes it more special than the others?
LK: I think because it was the race that I wanted to win the most. And doing it in the rainbow jersey was super special. It was also the first win for our team as SD Worx-Protime. And in this race, you could really feel how nice a team we have. So for me, it was a really special moment, with the best possible people around me, with my teammates and the staff of the team. It was a really nice day.
How special is it to wear the rainbow jersey?
LK: I'm just really proud of it. It's something in your career, you want to become UCI World Champion. I did it last year in Glasgow; what were the odds that I could do it twice? But after winning Zurich, I was super happy that I could keep the rainbow and that I didn't have to give it to someone else. To be able to wear it for another year is super nice.
What are the areas where you see that you have progressed in 2024?
LK: I should say the longer climbs. What I did on Jebel Hafeet [winner of stage 3 of the UAE Tour Women] of the Blockhaus stage in the Giro [2nd to Neve Bradbury], it was really nice for me to be able to do that. Then, becoming European Champion in the time trial was something that I started to target a little bit more and it was really nice to see the work rewarded.
Do you have any regrets about this year?
LK: No. No regrets. I'm really happy about it.
You battled with Marianne Vos on many occasions during the year. What does she represent to you?
LK: She's a rider I respect a lot. It's nice to see that she's still able to be on such a high level. She's already been there for so long and she's still a super good rider, so I have a lot of respect for her, and it's nice to battle with her.
She's someone who is often described as an inspiration. Now this is said about you. Is it a role that is important for you also?
LK: Somehow, yes, but it's also a little bit strange because I've never really had those people who really inspired me or where I felt like: 'She's my inspiration.' I never really had that. It's strange that people think this about me. But I like it when young riders ask advice, or you see that they really look up to you. It's something I'm fine with.
You've been second in the Tour de France, and second in the Giro. How big a gap do you think there is between being second and winner of a Grand Tour?
LK: I think it's for sure not the same. I think if you can be second, you can also win… But on the other hand, it's not because you came second that you'll win. It's a little bit contradictory, but it's hard to say. I would love to one day give it a try, but I'm very aware that it won't be easy.
A Grand Tour is a totally different challenge compared to a Classic. Are you a different rider at the start of the Tour de France than you are at the start of Paris-Roubaix?
LK: Yes, somehow yes, but also not too much. It's logical that when you go into the Spring Classics that you train a little bit differently than you do if you train for the Tour or the Giro. You are a bit heavier for the Classics than you are in the summer and you're also more explosive than when you focus on climbing. The thing is, if I focus on one of these tours, it should not interfere with the Spring Classics, because it's two different periods.