"Lorena Wiebes is being placed above Lotte Kopecky... That's totally undeserved" - Greg van Avermaet heavily critical of Team SD Worx tactics

Last weekend at Paris-Roubaix Femmes 2025, Team SD Worx - Protime fell short in their bid to make it a hat-trick on Monument wins to start the season, as Pauline Ferrand-Prévot soloed to her first win since returning to the road. Whilst the French star was undoubtedly impressive on the cobbles, according to Greg van Avermaet, the tactics of SD Worx did not help themselves at all.

As has been the case throughout the Spring, Team SD Worx - Protime opted for a dual leadership strategy, combining the qualities of European champion Lorena Wiebes and world champion Lotte Kopecky. This has proven successful of course, with Kopecky turning leadout for Wiebes en route to wins at Milano-Sanremo and Gent Wevelgem, plus the Rainbow Jersey herself emerging victorious at the Tour of Flanders. In Roubaix however, rather than backing Kopecky, who triumphed on the cobbles in 2024, the team again seemed to favour the hopes of sprint sensation Wiebes and this, according to Van Avermaet was the fatal mistake for any hopes SD Worx had.

"I feel like Wiebes is being placed above Kopecky at certain moments and I think that’s totally undeserved," begins the former Olympic champion's scathing assessment on the latest episode of the Wuyts & Vlaeminck podcast. "Especially in these one-day races, I believe Lotte has a lot of strengths - maybe even more than Wiebes."

"I think their strengths should be used side by side, rather than putting one above the other. And honestly, that bothers me a bit, because lately it feels like things are leaning a little too much toward Wiebes," continues Van Avermaet, with the Belgian even going so far as to urge his compatriot to speak up for herself more. "Lotte should really bang her fist on the table a bit more. She’s wearing the rainbow jersey - she has every right to race for herself and go after her own chances."