INTERVIEW: Lotte Kopecky stars again on stage 2 of 2024 Tour of Britain Women as resurgent Anna Henderson has to settle for 2nd

For the second successive day, Lotte Kopecky proved the strongest of the field at the 2024 Tour of Britain Women. After the agonizingly close way stage 1 ended, the world champion was allowed to celebrate this time too, as she powered to victory ahead of Anna Henderson in a two-up sprint for the stage.

With the peloton all together at the bottom of the first category Horseshoe Pass, race leader Kopecky in her stunning Green Jersey ignited the GC action with 27km of the stage to go. Although Letizia Paternoster was able to follow for a short while, it was Henderson, riding in the colours of Team GB that proved to be the only rider strong enough to follow the Team SD Worx - Protime leader by the top of the climb.

"We wanted the climb to be hard and SD Worx made it clear from the bottom that wanted to set a pace. So, we let them set the pace and when Lotte attacked, initially I missed the first jump. But I managed to get across to Lotte and Letizia, then Letizia pulled out and I had to jump again. Then it was just trying follow until the top," Henderson reflected of the stage-defining climb in a post-race interview with CyclingUpToDate.

Having managed to hold the wheel until the top, Henderson and Kopecky worked relatively well together as a duo, holding off the chasing pack all the way to the line. Although Kopecky was arguably always the more fancied of the two in a straight up sprint, the world champion did attempt to break free and arrive solo at the line. "I tried to attack one time on the small kicker, but yeah, she didn't like that!" Kopecky laughed post-stage in conversation with CyclingUpToDate and the rest of the assembled press. "I also could not get rid of her so after that I was like: We'll just try to keep working together and go until the finish. After I tried, she didn't want to work immediately after, which I can understand. But, we worked together well in the end."

With Henderson and Kopecky coming into the finale alongside each other, it was the world champion who held the front and despite Henderson's best attempts to get out of the slipstream and secure herself the win, Kopecky held on for a second victory in as many days. "Yesterday I was really happy that we made the split but today yeah, you're almost more disappointed than yesterday because you're that much closer to the win," admitted Henderson afterwards, sensing a slight feeling of a missed opportunity. "But, I'm super happy to be second to someone like Lotte."

After Lorena Wiebes took all stages at the recent RideLondon Classique, Kopecky now has the chance to match her teammate at the Tour of Britain. With Saturday's stage 3 being a flatter stage however, it may be Wiebes who is the favoured rider of Team SD Worx - Protime. When asked by CyclingUpToDate if it will be a day for herself or for Wiebes, Kopecky was keeping her cards close to her chest. "We still have to discuss either tonight or tomorrow morning how we will do it," she answers. "Another day another chance!"

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