“I’m not going to say anything right now” - Frustrated Lotte Kopecky denied in dramatic Stage 2 finale at La Vuelta Femenina
Cycling
Stage 2 of La Vuelta Femenina 2026 was defined by the crash and abandonment of race leader Noemi Ruegg, but in the fight for the stage win, Lotte Kopecky was left to reflect on a moment that slipped away in the final metres.
Positioned perfectly for the uphill finish in San Cibrao das Viñas, the Belgian launched her sprint only to see it unravel following contact with eventual winner Shari Bossuyt. “I’m not going to say anything right now,” a frustrated Kopecky said afterwards in conversation with Sporza.
Split second moment ends Kopecky’s challenge
Kopecky had arrived at the finish exactly where she needed to be. The reduced group that reached the final rise had already been shaped by a long, demanding day, leaving only the strongest riders in contention.
Her sprint lasted only a moment. “Our shoulders touched, and it looked like I came out of my pedal, but that wasn’t actually the case,” she explained. “I try to shift into a bigger gear, but with a SRAM system, if you press both buttons at the same time, you go to the small chainring. At the moment I try to shift up, I come into contact with Shari. Then I go onto the inner ring and my chain comes off.”
Instead of accelerating, her effort stalled and with it any chance of taking the stage.
A stage that followed the plan
The frustration was heightened by how the stage had developed. The rolling terrain and controlled pace had led into a selective uphill finish that suited Kopecky, and Team SD Worx - Protime executed their approach accordingly. She was delivered into the final climb in position, with the race under control.
“They did a perfect job today,” she said. “They positioned me perfectly on the climb. I knew that last little kick would be difficult, but I was still there. Then I come up to Anna and she does a perfect lead out. I launched at the right moment, but about the rest I’m not going to say anything right now.”
With Anna van der Breggen guiding the final approach, the structure was in place for a clean finish. Sadly for Kopecky however, it didn't end up following that script.
No interest in assigning blame
Kopecky offered little further reflection on the incident itself when asked directly who was to blame. “That doesn’t matter.”
The response reflected the situation. The opportunity had been there, the execution had been right, but the outcome was decided in an instant.
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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- Rota is an excellent rider to get in a break with because he always does his turnchapmanesque04-11-2026
- That 3000 extra that the Tour de France is built up in the flat stages
Rafionain-Glas04-11-2026 - maybe this is something else they can protest in the streets of France.mij04-11-2026
- his Roubaix win was amazing. not to take anything away from him - arguably one of MVDP's wins was at the expense of a WVA flat - but so many things need to line up to get one of these. He had a perfect race with fewer bike issues on an attritional course. And crazy strong as usual. Glad he got this done.mij04-11-2026
- Orts was a super smart signing with the new rules regarding cross and UCI pointsmij04-11-2026
- yeah... you're right...PogiSloFans04-11-2026
- Podcast sounds great. Two so called experts stating the f*cking obvious.wrsty04-11-2026
- A mindset that reminds me of Tim Declerq. I loved watching that guy just pound away the kilometers, hours at the front, holding an entire breakaway in check on his own. Bjerg seems like a similar guy. Curling, the team sport.RidesHills04-11-2026
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