Belgian Rider, Lotte Kopecky Wins Women’s Tour Of Flanders Again

 

Lotte Kopecky of Belgium won the Women’s Tour of Flanders on Sunday, retaining her title, thanks to a long solo break on the 154km route.

 

The 27-year-old SD Worx rider crossed the finish line in Oudenaarde after 4hrs 06min 11sec, finishing 36 seconds ahead of a six-rider sprint for second place won by Dutch rider Demi Vollering.

 

She is only the second woman in history to win back-to-back titles, and only the fourth to do so twice.

 

“It’s amazing how we raced as a team,” said the 27-year-old winner. “What a wonderful season.”

 

Kopecky won by dropping her final follower, Silvia Perisco, with 13 kilometers to go, and accelerating relentlessly up the steep Kruisberg climb.

Snoods, gloves, and windbreaker jackets were the order of the day on a cold day on the Flemish plains for both the riders and the estimated 750,000 fans who lined the route.

 

The final 45 kilometers of this 19th women’s edition of a race known locally as ‘La Ronde’ and considered an unofficial world championships follow the same route as the men’s, albeit 100 kilometers shorter.

 

The chasing group was unable to form an alliance as Kopecky pedaled hard until she had a 46-second lead entering the final kilometre.

Leave a Reply