What does Lotte Kopecky think of the return of Anna van der Breggen? "It is important to get everyone on the same page, to achieve those goals together"

Two-time world champion Lotte Kopecky has made notable changes to her spring racing schedule as she shifts her primary focus towards the Tour de France Femmes this summer. Unlike previous years, she will forgo races like Strade Bianche and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, with Liège-Bastogne-Liège standing out as her biggest spring target.

Speaking to In de Leiderstrui, Kopecky reflected on the reasoning behind her decision.

"Last year I lacked freshness," she admitted. "I want to be fresher in the Walloon classics than last year, and especially to start fresher in the Tour. That is why I am competing later."

Kopecky’s growing ambitions for the general classification stem from her promising performances on hilly and mountainous terrain. She referenced the Tour de France Femmes' 2023 stage to Blockhaus as a true confidence booster.

"Especially that difficult stage to Blockhaus, where I was one of the better climbers." But can Kopecky be one of the best climbers throughout the entire race? That is the question she hopes to answer with an emphatic yes this year.

While discussions about her potential as a GC contender began during the 2024 season, Kopecky and her team waited to assess the Tour’s route before committing to an all-out bid.

"But we wanted to wait for the course first. And that turns out to be a very difficult one, it is not the ideal Tour."

Renowned as one of the best one-day specialists in the peloton, Kopecky acknowledges the physical adjustments required to transform into a general classification contender.

"In the classics, you can afford to be a bit heavier, because it is only one day. But we have to pay enough attention to the weight, to be able to survive those cols in the Tour every day."

With the departure of Demi Vollering from Team SD Worx - Protime, Kopecky is set to take on sole leadership duties in stage races. However, the recent return of Anna van der Breggen to professional cycling presents an interesting dynamic within the team.

Kopecky expressed her enthusiasm about Van der Breggen’s return, praising her leadership qualities.

"I am very happy that Anna is back," she said. "It is important to get everyone on the same page, to achieve those goals together."

While Van der Breggen is expected to support Kopecky at the Tour de France Femmes, Kopecky remains pragmatic about leadership roles and race-day decisions.

"I assume that I will be the leader. But I think it would be wise to have other options open. But to have such a rider next to you in the Tour is a great honour."

Comparing Van der Breggen’s role to that of Vollering, Kopecky highlighted the differences in their racing dynamics.

"I think that is mainly due to the person Anna. If you had Demi in front of you, Demi would have had a lot of trouble if she had to ride in my service in the Tour. Demi and I both wanted to win. We were both leading women. That is also what we are paid for, to win races."

"That's not the case with Anna. Nothing bad about Demi, but Anna is a rider with a big heart. It's give and take."

Kopecky remains realistic about the potential challenges ahead, acknowledging that team decisions will need to be made based on real-time race scenarios.

"If I can't keep up uphill, and Anna can, then it's clear. Then we're not going to lose the Tour because Anna has to drop me to a podium place. We have to be very honest about that at the moment itself."