Both
Demi Vollering and
Lotte Kopecky have been dominant throughout 2023 in the women's World Tour peloton. Part of the all-conquering
Team SD Worx usually, the pair will be on opposing sides in the upcoming World Championships road race in Glasgow.
"I think Lotte is a fantastic person and she is a great rider. One of the strongest at the moment," said Vollering in an interview with her team's official website. After finishing one and two at the recent Tour de France Femmes, Vollering and Kopecky and arguably the two standout riders in the women's peloton. The prospect of coming up against her great friend in the battle for the Rainbow Jersey is a daunting prospect for Vollering.
"You always prefer to race together, but at the World Championships, we'll wear a different jersey. It will be weird to race against her. At training camp you sometimes simulate a game, but there is nothing at stake," Vollering explains. "Now it's about a world title. On the one hand I'm a bit afraid of the battle with Lotte because she is in great shape and on the other hand I'm also looking forward to it."
“Whether I become world champion or not, my year has been brilliant anyway. But a world title would make it completely unforgettable," concludes Vollering. "Of course I would have liked to have been there last year, but it is not the case that this is an extra motivation now. I can't change anything anymore. Glasgow is a new opportunity. I find myself calm. In the Tour de France I experienced a form of restlessness, I was sometimes too eager. Now I live with confidence towards the road race."
