The 2024 World Championships in Switzerland are properly underway. As always though, the highlight for many fans, are the elite road races. This weekend, Lotte Kopecky is set to try and defend her Rainbow Jersey against some fierce competition in the women's race.
"I saw the course this week. I like it, that's the most important thing," previews the 2023 champion in comments to VTM Nieuws, clearly quietly confident in her chances of retaining the Rainbow Jersey. "I'm one of the favourites, but there are many riders who are eligible for the world title. At least ten: Demi Vollering, Liane Lippert, Elisa Longo Borghini, Kasia Niewiadoma...”
It's been a successful season for the world champion in 2024 as well, despite narrowly missing out on a first ever Grand Tour victory to the aforementioned Longo Borghini at the Giro d'Italia earlier this year. “It didn’t give me any extra power, but I am very proud that I was allowed to wear this jersey. It has been a kind of privilege," she says warmly.
Kopecky has also been working closely together with a mental coach in order to continue performing at the very highest level, not that this is anything new though. “I have had one since I was thirteen. I was in the gym at the time and it was part of our training. I learned a lot from that," she explains. "Sometimes you react incorrectly to impulses as a runner and with the help of a mental coach you learn to react correctly and you can better understand what people around you expect from you or how they look at you.”
And then comes the time for predictions. Firstly for the men's race as Kopecky's Belgian compatriot Remco Evenepoel looks to try and take his second road race Rainbow Jersey. “I think Tadej Pogacar, but I hope for Remco,” Kopecky answers. As for the women's race? “Then I will mention my own name.”
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