“I was left without water” - Lotte Kopecky suffers badly in Tour de France Femmes opener as teammate Lorena Wiebes powers into yellow
Cycling
Lotte Kopecky spent around 40 minutes without water during the opening stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes after missing the feed zone, leaving her struggling badly on the climbs around Lausanne.
The Team SD Worx – Protime rider had been one of the leading alternatives for the uphill finish if the route proved too demanding for Lorena Wiebes, but was dropped on the Cote de Vulliens with close to 40 kilometres remaining.
Wiebes survived the same sequence of climbs before beating Kim Le Court-Pienaar and Demi Vollering to the stage victory and first yellow jersey of the race.
Kopecky revealed afterwards that her problems began when she failed to collect bottles in warm conditions. “I missed the feed and it was just not the right moment to go back for bottles,” she explained. “When you are without water for 40 minutes in this weather, your temperature rises quickly.”
Missed feed proves costly for Kopecky
The opening stage had been officially classified as flat, but the 137-kilometre route contained four categorised climbs and a final 2.5-kilometre ascent averaging 4.6 per cent.
The peloton began to split on the Cote de Villars-le-Comte, where Charlotte Kool was among the riders distanced. Kopecky then lost contact on the following climb as the effects of her missed feed began to show.
SD Worx had kept the early four-rider breakaway under control, with its advantage dropping rapidly once the race reached the final sequence of climbs. “It was pretty warm along the way, but otherwise it went well,” Kopecky said. “There was a breakaway that was given some room, but it stayed properly under control, and once the finale opened up, the gap became smaller and smaller.”
The move was caught with six kilometres remaining, leaving the reduced peloton to contest the uphill finish in Lausanne.
Wiebes delivers after surviving selective finale
Kopecky’s absence left SD Worx fully committed to Wiebes, who had also questioned whether the route might prove too difficult. Anna van der Breggen helped move the Dutch sprinter into position before Celia Gery attacked inside the final two kilometres. Vollering accelerated soon afterwards, with Le Court-Pienaar following closely behind.
Wiebes responded before launching a long sprint and powering past both riders to take the stage. “These are finishes that suit her,” Kopecky said. “Once she smells the finish line, there is often not much anyone can do about it.”
Read also
Wiebes left Lausanne leading both the General Classification and Points Classification, four seconds ahead of Le Court-Pienaar and six clear of Vollering.
Stage 2 finishes on flatter roads in Geneva, giving SD Worx another opportunity to work for Wiebes while Kopecky looks to recover from a costly opening afternoon without sufficient hydration.
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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