How Lotte Kopecky made history in 2024
For Belgium, 2024 was a year of unforgettable sporting moments. Belga takes a closer look at five Belgian athletes who surpassed all expectations and made their mark on the global stage. Today, we focus on cyclist Lotte Kopecky.
It was hard to imagine that Lotte Kopecky could have a better year than 2023, when she won the Tour of Flanders, finished second in the Tour de France and became world road champion. Even Kopecky herself didn't think she could do it. "A year like this, where everything comes together, will not happen again for a long time," she said at the time.
As it turned out, she was wrong. Not only did everything fall into place again, but 2024 turned out to be an even better year for one of the best Belgian cyclists of all time.
Winning her dream race
Kopecky started the season in top form. After a first place at the UAE Women's Tour in February and a Strade Bianche victory in March, Kopecky had her first date with destiny in France in April. She had narrowly missed out on winning Paris-Roubaix three years in a row, but that would change in 2024.
On 6 April, Kopecky sprinted to victory on the Roubaix velodrome, beating Marianne Vos and Elisa Balsamo. The Belgian won her favourite race in the rainbow jersey, a first in women's cycling. For Kopecky, the victory was a relief after so many near misses and a boost of confidence for the rest of the season.
With a tick next to her first major goal, Kopecky began her preparations for the summer. She won the Tour of Britain in June. She also dominated the Belgian national championships that month, winning both the time trial and the road race.
Mixed feelings
After an impressive second place in the women's Giro d'Italia and sixth place in the Olympic time trial, Kopecky won bronze in the road race at the Paris Olympic Games. She left the French capital with mixed feelings: pleased to have won her first Olympic medal after finishing fourth at Tokyo 2020, but also disappointed, because her form had left her hoping for more.
But she channelled that energy at the road race world championships in Zurich in September. From a hopeless position, Kopecky took advantage of the Dutch team's fumbling to sprint to her second rainbow jersey in a row. This was not the only world championship success for the Belgian: a month later she added two more silver medals to her collection at the track world championships.
Thanks to her performances, Kopecky reached number one in the UCI's world rankings. For the first time, sports journalists awarded her the prestigious Velo d'Or trophy, given to the best female cyclist of the season.
Filling in the gaps
Despite her successes, the 29-year-old still has her sights set high. From 2025, she is determined to fill the empty spaces in her trophy cabinet. These include wins in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Milan-San Remo and the Amstel Gold Race.
Her ultimate goal, however, will be to finish a grand tour in first place. Kopecky has come close on two occasions, finishing second in the Tour de France Femmes in 2023 and the Giro d'Italia in 2024. But as a specialist in one-day races, winning a multi-week Tour is another matter entirely.
Nevertheless, Kopecky believes in her chances. "If you finish second, you can win... But just because you finish second, that doesn't mean you're going to win," she told Sporza earlier this month. "If everything goes right, it's possible."
© BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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