“For a moment I thought I was boxed in" - Lotte Kopecky secures season goal at Paris-Roubaix Femmes courtesy of brutal velodrome sprint

For the first time in her career, Lotte Kopecky has tasted victory at Paris-Roubaix Femmes, securing a long-term goal in the career of the current world champion in the process.

“This was the goal of the season. To do this is very nice,” reflects the Team SD Worx - Protime leader in her immediate interview after the victory. “How much confidence the team gave me... They've been doing that all season, but especially this week my teammates tried to make me smile. They really believed I could win and they did a great job in the race. The fact that Lorena Wiebes was in the second group was perhaps the key for me.”

After a brutal day on the bike, Kopecky headed onto the historic final velodrome in a six-woman group alongside Elisa Balsamo, Pfeiffer Georgi, Marianne Vos, Amber Kraak and Ellen van Dijk.

“That sprint is always nervous. You are there with two fast sprinters, Vos and Balsamo, so you are never sure,” Kopecky reflects of the incredibly dramatic finale. “For a moment I thought I was boxed in, so I had to start sprinting early. And luckily I could keep sprinting.”