“They can get in each other’s way” - Jip van den Bos on how SD Worx will have to manage Lotte Kopecky and Demi Vollering this season

After their frosty exchange at the finish of last year’s Strade Bianche, where Demi Vollering outsprinted her SD Worx-Protime teammate Lotte Kopecky through the narrow Tuscan streets of Siena, the media have focused in on the relationship between the two riders, with some questioning whether them being on the same team is sustainable in the long-run.

On an episode of Eurosport’s Kop over Kop podcast, Jip van den Bos, who rode for the team for four years between 2017 and 2020, commented on having both riders in the same squad, stating “let SD Worx do the work. The question is which women they will put in the lead. They can get in each other’s way”.

Van den Bos also noted that the pair will both be looking to impress this season as they look to build their form ahead of the summer, as she said that “everyone also wants to be in the spotlight for the Olympic Games. That makes it even more difficult to get ahead of each other”.