"Lotte should be more professional": Former Paris-Roubaix champion criticizes Lotte Kopecky's poor year
Cycling
Lotte Kopecky cannot look at a successful 2025. The world champion emerged victorious at the Tour of Flanders, but otherwise concludes the season pretty much empty-handed. At least, viewed through the strict metric of previous years. The Belgian dealt with multiple problems throughout the year and ultimately didn't even attempt to defend her rainbow throne, wrapping up the year after an injury from Tour de l'Ardeche already at the start of September.
With the departure of Demi Vollering, her Team SD Worx - Protime expected Kopecky to rise up to the opportunities presented and become the dominant star of the Dutch superteam, but instead it was down to her teammate and star sprinter Lorena Wiebes to carry the team flag high with 25 victories in 2025 (+ Gravel rainbow jersey). Meanwhile Kopecky raised her hands only three times this year and scored just a fragment of her usual UCI points.
Naturally, the criticism was quick to arrive from the Belgian side as the fans and experts alike had hoped for way more of their best female cyclist. Former cyclist and Paris-Roubaix champion Johan Vansummeren starts moderately in Het Belang van Limburg: "I don't think Lotte's life is over. Everyone has a difficult year now and then."
However his next statement stings like a bee, criticizing Kopecky's approach towards this season. "But she could do with being more professional. Get a coach," he adds, blaming none other than the 29-year-old herself for the failure.
Be more like Pauline
Vansummeren further adds salt to the wound by drawing a comparison to Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. The 2014 world champion has returned to the professional peloton after nearly decade of focusing solely on mountain bikes. And in her debut year, she already dominated the Tour de France Femmes and won the Paris-Roubaix Femmes as well. Her two major goals.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot quite a few more reasons to smile this year, compared to Kopecky
"Pauline returned to road cycling without pressure. She consciously chose Visma | Lease a Bike, where she structured her training for Paris-Roubaix and the Tour. She even went the extra mile in terms of nutrition. Lotte lacks that dedication somewhat."
Not everyone is as harsh with the star. Another former professional Jelle Vanendert takes a more lenient approach where he highlights the positive moments of Kopecky's season. "Despite knee problems, she won the Tour of Flanders. But the Tour podium as her main goal was too ambitious. Combined with injuries and other problems, it created too much pressure."
According to Vanendert, the team structure also plays a role. "SD Worx is an excellent team, but Visma | Lease a Bike is ahead of the curve. They work with data from both the men's and women's teams. That makes a world of difference."
Lotte Kopecky remains one of the greatest talents of her generation, but this season shows how thin the line is between ambition and overwork. Kopecky should take a lesson out of this season towards future years, Vansummeren thinks: "Everyone goes through a difficult year now and then. The key is to learn from it."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
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- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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