“I want to do my best against the climbers" - Jebel Hafeet climb gives Lotte Kopecky earlier season test at UAE Tour Women
Cycling
Stage 3 of the 2024 UAE Tour Women concludes atop the immense Jebel Hafeet climb and for world champion, Lotte Kopecky it is a perfect, early-season test to see where her level is at.
“I want to do my best against the climbers,” says Team SD Worx - Protime's Rainbow Jersey-wearing superstar after her teammate, Lorena Wiebes make it back-to-back sprint wins on stage 2 in Madinat Zayed. “I'll see how far I can go."
Kopecky has proven in the past she can more than compete with the best climbers, notably finishing second overall at the 2023 Tour de France Femmes. In Jebel Hafeet however, she faces the daunting task of a 10km climb that averages out at a 9% gradient.
Last year, Gaia Realini was second behind her teammate, Elisa Longo Borghini, and the Lidl-Trek rider also had a word about the climb pre-stage. “We are ready to play our cards as best we can. Copying last year's script would be great, but every year is different. We will see how the others do and of course I will do my best,” said Realini.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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The current Queen of Jebel Hafeet is Gaia Realini who is back again this year and stands a good chance of setting a new QoM Last year's race saw Realini average 204w for 30:06 @ 5.1 w/kg The wind is helpful today for setting a new PB and maybe the race win! #UAETourWomen
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