It is virtually over, however not fairly. After challenges on the observe, highway and gravel this yr stretching all the best way again to early February, Lotte Kopecky faces one closing spherical of racing within the Observe World Championships this week, however the Belgian star has promised that she won’t be overdoing issues.
Kopecky was one of many high performers within the multi-discipline 2023 Biking World Championships throughout the board, not solely securing highway race gold but in addition netting victories within the elimination and factors races in addition to a bronze within the Omnium on the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow.
Be it using for her SD Worx-Protime commerce crew or for Belgium, Kopecky has loved a superb 2024 season, too. Purely to concentrate on the autumn, the 28-year-old has captured triumphs within the World Championships highway race, the European Championships time trial, the Tour de Romandie and – simply final week – the Simac Girls Tour. On high of that, she just lately clinched silver within the Gravel World Championships as properly.
As for flying to Denmark to be one of many 355 athletes from 40 nations collaborating on this yr’s World Observe Championships, Kopecky instructed Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws that she is ok with the thought of stretching out her season just a little longer. However as soon as Sunday comes round, she’ll be executed with 2024 and racing for positive.
“One week remains to be potential and it’s my very own alternative. The elimination and factors race are additionally the 2 occasions I like doing essentially the most,” she instructed HLN on receiving her fifth Kristallen Fiets prize as the highest Belgian racer of the yr this week.
“Including the Omnium would have been an excessive amount of of a great factor. The Belgian Federation agrees with my alternative. No matter occurs in Copenhagen, it gained’t make my season any higher, however I wish to give it an opportunity and finish this wonderful yr in type.”
With some understatement, Kopecky added that she felt prefer it had been an extended season, and that though it was robust to change off, she knew that point away from the bike was now urgently wanted.
“Crucial factor is to do issues that don’t contain biking, though, in actuality, that’s tougher than it appears: subconsciously, I’m so centered on my profession in the mean time that I typically take into consideration the following factor straight away and don’t wish to throw away all of the work I’ve executed,” she instructed the newspaper.
“However the previous three seasons have been very intense and lengthy. It’s time for a critical break and to let my physique absolutely get well, each bodily and mentally. After the World Observe Biking Championships, I’m actually going to take a break, I promise.”
It is symptomatic of her ambitions although, that Kopecky is already getting her head round what she desires to realize in 2025. As she identified, she has twice taken a runners-up spot in a Grand Tour in her profession, as soon as within the Giro d’Italia and as soon as within the Tour de France, on each events with none particular preparation.
“A classification in a grand tour is secretly in my head, however it is usually a leap into the unknown. Let’s first begin by attempting to take the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège subsequent spring. These are two nice Classics that I want to tick off.”
As for her fifth Kristallen Fiets trophy, she had not but determined the place to maintain it. Thus far, she stated, one was at her grandfather’s home, one other one was stored by her father and two had been in her attic.
“Do not get me improper, it is not that I wish to disguise these lovely trophies, I simply do not desire a lounge stuffed with racing memorabilia,” she stated.
“I wish to come residence to a home with a traditional residing house, with baskets for my canine and a scratching publish for my cat.”