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.
