Combining both track and road at the 2023 Glasgow World Championships, Lotte Kopecky can head to the women's elite road race full of confidence after securing herself a total of three medals in the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome.
"My legs are only getting better," Kopecky says in a post-race interview with Sporza after her final track cycling event in the Omnium. "The danger and the bad luck lurks behind a corner on the course. Conditionally everything is good, I can start with confidence. But I will not think that I am already world champion."
"The heat was palpable, but luckily I can handle it well. The ambition was a medal, so I'm happy with bronze," the 27-year-old Belgian analyses of the Omnium. "I thought 'Yes, finally started well', but then it went badly in the tempo lap, where I really lagged behind. That somewhat ruined my good start. Sometimes you are well in the race and sometimes not. If people are just ahead of you, you are constantly behind the facts."
Jennifer Valente of the U.S.A took the win, Kopecky having settle for third. "But I know I shouldn't hang my head after a bad start. That is also characteristic of the omnium. It is four times your full charge, regardless of the previous result," she concludes. "But I was certainly not convinced that I had a medal, because I still had to deal with Katie Archibald, certainly not one of the least."
🥉 Omnium 🇧🇪 @LotteKopecky rode a strong points race, resulting in a bronze medal in the omnium! Jennifer Valente (145p) prolongs her world title, Amalie Dideriksen (136p) takes🥈. Lotte secured 🥉w/ 133p. An outstanding track competition of our champ 🌈🌈🥉 📸 @GettySport
