The Quick-Step-Alpha Vinyl manager,
Patrick Lefevere, has offered
Lotte Kopecky a chance to join his women's team AG Insurance-NXTG.
With
Lorena Wiebes joining SD Worx, Lefevere believes there will be a conflict of interest in the team . Wiebes and Kopecky are among the best riders in women’s cycling. "Lorena Wiebes will ride for SD Worx next year, and I have the impression that Lotte Kopecky feels a bit cold. If they really get in each other's way, we will of course, be happy to offer a solution", Lefevere wrote in his column on Het Nieuwsblad.
AG Insurance-NXTG currently depends on invitation and wildcard entries for major races, but with Kopecky’s possible arrival, sponsors will have a reason to include the team. "Our missed participation in Liège and the Flèche Wallonne has been more than made up for with the invitation to the Tour Femmes. The intention is that our team will no longer depend on invitations in the future. We want to go to the Women's WorldTour and preferably already next year," Lefevere says.
He also commented on the incredible growth of women’s cycling, which has created a market. While his team is new and looking for new riders, he stresses that riders like Wiebes are too costly to afford right now ."On the transfer market, we are looking for reinforcements, but the caliber of Lorena Wiebes is not financially worth our while. Women's cycling is going hard in that respect as well. The brokers have discovered a new goldmine", concluded Lefevere.
