Add gravel as one other self-discipline that Lotte Kopecky can deal with, even when she’s not in high type. The Belgian rose to the event in entrance of a house crowd on the UCI Gravel World Championships and got here inside one second of back-to-back world titles in a single week.
The elite ladies’s race for the rainbow stripes got here all the way down to an explosive last 175 metres after 133km of punchy climbs and pothole-filled paths, with Marianne Vos (Netherlands) holding off Kopecky for the victory.
This end was a little bit of a flashback to the Paris Olympic Video games street race, the place Vos outkicked Kopecky for the silver medal, the gold already across the neck of US rider Kristen Faulkner. And this time within the centre of Leuven, it was on an unfamiliar floor which produced an identical end result.
“I had enjoyable, that is why I got here right here. So, yeah, it met these expectations,” Kopecky informed Cyclingnews within the blended zone after receiving her silver medal.
Kopecky got here into the gravel championships straight off her second street race world title per week in the past. As one of many world’s quickest riders on the observe, she already has six gold medals in world championships. This try at one other world title was very totally different, her first begin ever in a gravel race, so her expectations had been reasonable.
“It is no disgrace to return second after Marianne. It was my first gravel race, one thing fully totally different,” Kopecky informed Sporza on the end. “I ought to have approached the dash in a different way.”
On a uncommon flat part of the course on the method to the closing circuit by means of Leuven, with below 50km to go, Lopecky and Vos accelerated away from what had been a quartet with Lorena Wiebes (Netherlands) and Soraya Paladin (Italy). The duo would subsequent collaborate in a Dutch-Belgian armistice to distance any chasers after which settle the rating on the second move into Leuven for 2 medals, however only one championship jersey.
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Kopecky and Vos stretched out their lead by means of extra undulating small paths, this time by means of the Meerdaalwoud forest. Stay protection confirmed Kopecky placing stress on Vos as they got here out of the woods, after which stretching her again the place open fields gave the riders a little bit of a break.
The 2 motored alongside out and in of wooded sections that begged for attentiveness with the fixed fluctuation of shadows and brilliant sunshine, making the uneven surfaces difficult. Kopecky was seen stretching once more.
“Yeah, my legs are positive, however my decrease again was exploding. I believe it was getting all of the hits from the holes, one thing that I am probably not used to. So I hope it isn’t too dangerous. I simply tried to get the again as relaxed as potential in the direction of the end,” she defined within the blended zone.
The hole moved from three minutes to 4 minutes because the duo hit the ultimate 5km of the race. Two kilometres later the treaty for cooperation expired and Vos attacked on the steep cobbled climb of the Ramberg headed to the town centre. However Vos got here again on the pavement and the duo settled the rating on the broad boulevard of the Bondgenotenlaan.
“Then ultimately, Marianna began the dash. I made some mistake, I believe I waited too lengthy,” Kopecky mentioned. “However yeah, Marianna was simply quicker.”
Kopecky mentioned she preferred the course, with the fixed undulations, turns and uneven surfaces, and a scarcity of lengthy, sustained climbs was a plus for a Classics-style setup. Nevertheless, she famous that the extent of problem got here with positioning within the race, which was a a lot totally different perspective than her solo reconnaissance.
“After I did the recon this week, it felt actually arduous. So it was truly much less arduous than I anticipated [Saturday], perhaps as a result of I did it alone. With a bit larger group, it is primarily positioning,” she informed Cyclingnews concerning the misleading problem on a slim setup.
“For those who’re not in place on the appropriate sectors, then you definitely truly lose your race. So there are a couple of essential factors on this course that the place you are in entrance, it could possibly actually make a giant distinction.”
A victory would have given Kopecky a second world title in per week, however she was completely happy to have such a excessive efficiency in her first gravel outing.
“I believe with Marianna, we have now a really worthy champion.”
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