When it was confirmed that Lorena Wiebes had made a surprise transfer from the DSM team to SD Worx in 2023, many in the cycling community anticipated that the change could cause a sense of unease in Lotte Kopecky, as if two cyclists of comparable strength and stature it might not be able to coexist on the same computer.
Kopecky has put an end to such speculations in an interview with Sporza (opens in a new tab), revealing that she sees Wiebes’ transfer to SD Worx as a positive gain for both the team and her own career.
He likes the idea that he will now have more freedom to take a wild card role in some of the biggest races.
“I don’t have a problem with that,” Kopecky said.
“I look at that positively. When we start together, I’ll be able to run more offensively and more freely. Because if it’s a massive sprint, we’ve got Lorena.”
SD Worx have consistently topped both the UCI World Ranking and the Women’s WorldTour in six of the previous seven seasons, as they continue to be the most dominant women’s team in the world.
His success is attributed to the overall strength of individual riders, team tactics, and focus on developing younger riders and future talent.
Kopecky has now completed his first full season with SD Worx, and it was a smashing success. Her victories at the Strade Bianche and the Tour of Flanders marked the highlights of the year and she, while she is an accomplished sprinter, is also one of the strongest punchers in the peloton.
He would like to perform just as well in 2023.
“It will be very difficult to match that or do better. It motivates me to work very hard again this winter and get the best out of him next year,” Kopecky said.
With 23 wins in 2022, Wiebes is arguably the best sprinter in the women’s peloton and bringing her on the roster will give SD Worx an aggressive sprinter to rely on throughout the Women’s WorldTour.
In fact, the team has begun building a dedicated Wiebes start train with Barbara Guarischi, Elena Cecchini, Christine Majerus and Lonneke Uneken.
SD Worx will join in a pre-season training camp next month, where Kopecky will learn more about his 2023 goals.
“At the moment, I don’t know exactly how my summer will be. You have the Tour de France Femmes and the World Championships that follow shortly after. We have to analyze it well with the team,” he said. .
His goals for the season will include both road and track racing, especially as he is targeting the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
“I’m concentrating mainly on the spring now. The European Track Championships is already in the middle of February. It’s the first qualifying competition for the Olympic Games, so that’s important,” said Kopecky, a four-time world champion in the track at Madison (twice), Elimination and Points Race.
“I’m trying to have my big peak against the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, but the [Olympic] The games are already in the back of my mind. Hopefully we can get a lot of points this year, so we don’t have to worry about that in 2024.”
