Kopecky reflects on missed opportunity at Amstel Gold Race: "We all let ourselves be surprised"
CyclingMonday, 21 April 2025 at 02:00
The Amstel Gold Race once again didn’t fall Lotte Kopecky’s
way on Sunday, as the world champion found herself marked out of the race by
her fellow favourites. Despite the setback, Kopecky remained composed and
praised her team’s performance.
"I could have been there myself and then it would have
been a different story, but I am happy that we finished it well with the
team," she told Sporza at the finish.
It was a chaotic race, and even before the live broadcast
had begun, the key move had already gone. The main contenders were caught off
guard and quickly left with ground to make up.
"You want a race, you get a race," Kopecky said. "But
of course it's not my fault that you didn't see it."
She went on to explain what had unfolded around 60
kilometres from the finish, "A large group jumped away with Mischa
(Bredewold) and Kata (Blanka Vas). A group with Lorena (Wiebes) slipped towards
them."
"It was ideal for us, because we had 3 riders with us.
The chase didn't start right away and the gap became quite big quite quickly.
It wasn't up to us to ride."
Although Kopecky admitted she could have been part of the
front group, she praised the outcome for SD Worx-Protime, with teammate Mischa
Bredewold going on to take victory.
"I could have been there myself and then it would have
been a different story, but I'm happy that we finished it well with the
team."
Reflecting on the decisive moment, she added, "Yes, I
heard that in my ear and I thought: 'Ah, no, nobody is with that trio.' But
Mischa must have been strong."
"She is a young rider who has already made great
strides. She is very good. Within our team, she has to create her own
opportunities. She does that today and she makes the most of them. This keeps
the atmosphere good."
Despite finishing 34th herself, Kopecky remained focused on
the bigger picture, "The feeling was good and that was very important for
me. We all let ourselves be surprised a bit with the favorites. There was
someone from every team who was involved and then you know that we can look at
each other."
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