Lotte Kopecky sacrifices her ambitions to help teammate Lorena Wiebes win Gent Wevelgem: "I enjoy this as much as my own victory"

The impossible happened and Lotte Kopecky finished 'only' 19th at Gent Wevelgem. No, the hell didn't freeze yet. Despite opening up the race early, everything went down in a bunch sprint where the world champion sacrificed herself for teammate Lorena Wiebes in the final.

"I felt good and wanted to test my legs a bit. There was a lot of wind, but in the end I thought everything was quite boring there. Actually, I just wanted to start racing," she told HLN.

It was a measure for nothing. The hill phase then. Double portion of Scherpenberg, Baneberg, Kemmelberg. Gefundenes Fressen. Kopecky: "If you feel good, ask Gent Wevelgem to attack in that zone." An elite group of eight formed, including three SD Worx - ProTime ladies. However, everything came together again in the last 26 kilometers. "Georgi did zero work. And Swinkels was also more of a burden than a help. I quickly realized that it was not going to work."

"When we reached Ypres with that large group, more specifically. It seemed logical to me to draw the Lorena card. That turned out well." In a head-to-head duel with Elisa Longo Borghini, Wiebes was able to hold her ground after luxury leadout from Kopecky. Even if her victory must have been confirmed in a photofinish. "I enjoy this as much as my own victory. Because I know I can count on Lorena in the future."