Kopecky finishes second in first Gravel World Championship
A week after claiming her second consecutive world road title, Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky just missed out on taking the Gravel World Championship crown at the first attempt. The 28-year-old finished a close second behind Dutch rider Marianne Vos in Leuven on Saturday.
Kopecky lost out in a final sprint following a 134km race from Halle to Leuven, with the Netherlands’ Lorena Wiebes coming third. Defending champion Katarzyna Niewiadoma, also the reigning Tour de France champion, did not compete this year
This was Kopecky’s first participation in a gravel race. She took her second consecutive world road title in Zurich, Switzerland, last week, seeing off five other riders in a sprint to secure victory.
The men’s event takes place on Sunday on a course of 181km, also between Halle and Leuven. Defending champion Matej Mohoric of Slovenia will face competition from riders including Mathieu van der Poel, Jasper Stuyven, Gianni Vermeersch and Tiesj Benoot.
#FlandersNewsService | Marianne Vos pips Lotte Kopecky to the finish line at the UCI World Gravel Championships in Leuven, 5 October 2024 © BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
Related news
