SD Worx supervisor Danny Stam confirmed that World Champion Lotte Kopecky is not going to participate within the Tour de France Femmes this 12 months.
Kopecky was not sure whether or not she may race the Tour this 12 months as a result of the Olympic Video games in Paris end someday earlier than the Tour de France Femmes Grand Départ in Rotterdam. Successful a medal on the Olympic Video games is certainly one of Kopecky’s high priorities this season.
“The omnium ends on Sunday afternoon, the Tour begins on Monday morning. It’s virtually inconceivable to do this correctly,” Stam informed Sporza.
“Combining these two occasions would even be a really tough activity mentally.”
Kopecky gained the opening stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 2023 and held the maillot jaune till the penultimate stage to the Col du Tourmalet when she misplaced contact on the ultimate climb and the general lead handed to teammate Demi Vollering.
On the Tour de France route presentation, Kopecky mentioned she wished to race the Tour as a result of it has two phases that run on Belgian roads – stage 3 makes use of a part of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège course and stage 4 departs from Bastogne.
“Once I see the course, I positively need to experience. The truth that it goes by Belgium can also be a really good factor. However, the Tour is yearly whereas the Olympic Video games are solely as soon as each 4 years. There are additionally very good objectives arising after the Tour, so it is extremely unclear in the intervening time,” mentioned Kopecky.
“The swap from monitor to street shouldn’t be an issue in itself, that isn’t my largest concern. The Tour in itself is just very powerful and after such an omnium you haven’t solely been bodily very deep, but in addition mentally.”
Kopecky put an emphasis on the Spring Classics this 12 months understanding the choice on whether or not to race the Tour or not would come after. She gained Strade Bianche, Nokere Koerse and Paris-Roubaix this 12 months in addition to the UAE Tour Girls in February.
Her schedule contains the Tour of Britain Girls (6-9 June) and Giro d’Italia Girls (7-14 July) earlier than the Olympics in Paris. She’s going to set her sights on the World Championships in Zurich within the latter a part of the season.
