"She needs to recharge her batteries mentally" - Will Lotte Kopecky defend her world title in Rwanda?

Two-time defending world champion Lotte Kopecky has yet to decide if she will defend her rainbow jersey in Rwanda this September. The 2025 World Championships route for the women covers 164 kilometers and packs in 3,350 meters of climbing, a profile that offers opportunities for multiple rider types, but with a tilt toward the climbers. While riders like Wout van Aert and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot have already confirmed their plans to skip the event, Kopecky’s participation remains uncertain after a taxing season.

Belgian national coach Ludwig Willems has given her space to make the call. “She needs to recharge her batteries mentally,” Willems told Wielerflits. “I deliberately didn't contact her after the Tour because she's already been pushed around enough. Starting with every day during the Tour itself: everyone wanted to know what was wrong and for her to explain it daily.

“But sometimes it's also important to be able to disconnect and come to terms with yourself. We really shouldn't underestimate how much she's been put through. Everyone wanted a piece of her in recent years. If she wanted, she could make an appearance somewhere every day.”

Kopecky herself, after the Tour, suggested the pressures and challenges of recent seasons might explain her dip in France. “It's certainly possible she had a setback, but the exact reason is never clear. There's also the fact that she had a very difficult winter due to a knee injury, and she completely overhauled all her training and preparations to aim for a Tour de France GC. The combination of these factors has left her lagging behind all season.”

Kopecky was not at her brilliant best at the Tour, and could not truly challenge for the GC or stage wins as she had planned to. However, if she can reach the form we saw in the spring where she dominated the Tour of Flanders, she could still be in contention for a third straight rainbow jersey.

Willems believes her mentality gives her the tools to respond. “Lotte is the perfect person to learn from her mistakes. I remember her coming into her first Tour with high expectations and absolutely wanting to win a stage. That was a huge disappointment, but she quickly recovered afterward. Mentally, those things are difficult to deal with, even for a great champion like Lotte, but she's also very resilient. She always wants to come back stronger.”

Whether she can prepare for Rwanda in time is another matter. “It's in her favor that she rode a satisfying finish to the Tour for herself and the team – even though it wasn't easy mentally. It's always possible she'll be back in shape at the World Championships, but that's hard to predict. Turning that switch is something she'll primarily have to do herself. Lotte is quite introverted, someone who likes to handle and process everything herself. But if necessary, we're there for her.”

For now, the decision is entirely hers. “The only thing we discussed was that she would have all the time and space she needed to get everything in place. She would let me know what the plans were, but at this point, I haven't received any confirmation. I'm certainly not someone who's going to tell Lotte: you're going to do this or that! I'm giving her free rein.”

If she does choose to travel to Rwanda, Willems believes the course could suit her. “The door is open for us. In Rwanda, unlike the tough men's race, a classic course awaits the women. The repetitive climbs do mean there's a huge amount of elevation to be conquered. Still, I think that the riders who excel in the Flemish classics or the Amstel Gold Race will be in contention for the prizes in Rwanda. And that includes Lotte.”