Belgian princess handed Lotte Kopecky a once-in-a-lifetime Belgian Trophy for her phenomenal 2024 season
OtherTuesday, 01 April 2025 at 09:00
As the 2025 season gains momentum, Lotte Kopecky was awarded the trophy for Sports Merit of the Year for her astonishing 2024 campaign. The Belgian was at the fore front on all terrains and ultimately became European ITT champion and World champion in road race. Had she won gold at the Olympic Games, it would've been a perfect year.
"I had never been here before," beamed Kopecky in the Brussels City Hall when she spoke to Sporza afterwards. The SD Worx - Protime princess received the trophy from real royalty, the Belgian princess Princess Astrid. "I know she was also present at the Olympic Games in Paris for track cycling, but we didn't meet then. Today we did, and that makes it extra special."
It is not the first time that the world champion has been honoured, but the National Trophy for Sports Merit is an award that an athlete can only win once in his or her career. "That makes it special," Kopecky said. "I'm glad I can stand among all those big names."
Looking back on her 2024 season, Kopecky has to think about her absolute highlight. "There are so many. It was a really fantastic season. But if I had to choose: winning Paris-Roubaix was phenomenal. It was probably the best season of my career. It will be almost impossible to match."
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