"Super happy that I could win today in the white jersey and white shorts. That means more to me than the third win" - Lotte Kopecky makes Tour of Flanders history
Cycling
Making Tour of Flanders history, Lotte Kopecky became the first woman to take a 3rd career win at the iconic Belgian Monument on Sunday afternoon, sprinting to the victory in a tight, four-woman fight to the line.
"I feel good. It was a crazy race with many crashes at the start. It was very nerve-wracking, and I didn’t have good legs in the beginning," explains the 29-year-old of Team SD Worx - Protime in her post-race interview afterwards, having always retained hope despite her admittedly slow start to the race. "Then I knew I had a strong sprint, and when we were down to four riders, I was full of confidence. After two hours, I felt good - much better than Wednesday. And with the team, we raced really well."
"What was the crucial moment? Mentally, it was the Kruisberg, where I felt the group was thinning out more and more. And when we were down to four after the Kwaremont, I had to survive the Paterberg and then ride to the finish. At that point, I had a good chance, and that’s how I executed it," Kopecky continues.
In the finale, Kopecky was up against the trio of Katarzyna Niewiadoma, Liane Lippert and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot. "It was difficult with the headwind. I had to stay on Niewiadoma’s wheel immediately and not hesitate. I stayed tight against the barriers and couldn’t let the pace drop too much. Then I had to launch my sprint when they started theirs," analyses the world champion of the dramatic finale.
And as mentioned, it's a history making 3rd career Tour of Flanders win for the current world champion. "It doesn’t mean that much, to be honest. I’m super happy that I could win today in the white jersey and white shorts. That means more to me than the third win," she concludes, noting her point to biceps celebration as she crossed the line. "That wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing. I had thought about it. It’s because I have really strong biceps!"
HISTORIC HAT-TRICK!
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) April 6, 2025
🇧🇪 Lotte Kopecky wins the Tour of Flanders for a third time! 🌈 pic.twitter.com/3Gljn5ZOCK
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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