Lotte Kopecky did not come into the four-day race with a said objective of successful the general classification on the UAE Tour Ladies. Nonetheless, on the eve of the penultimate and GC-deciding stage 3, the SD Worx-Protime rider has revised her ambitions and now goals to offer the highest climbers a run for his or her cash on Jebel Hafeet.
“I wish to strive my greatest towards the climbers,” Kopecky mentioned following stage 2, received by her teammate and general race chief Lorena Wiebes.
The World Champion initially felt the third stage could be too troublesome and warned that she was not in the identical form as she was eventually yr’s Tour de France Femmes.
Final July, she received the opening stage of the Tour, wore the yellow jersey for six days, climbed with one of the best to the summit of the Col du Tourmalet, after which stormed to 3rd place within the time trial in Pau. She closed out the eight-day race by successful the inexperienced factors jersey and taking second general behind teammate Demi Vollering.
“I’ll see how far I can go,” she mentioned of Jebel Hafeet, a 10km ascent with a median gradient of 9% and sections as steep as 11% on the best way to the end line.
Kopecky is at the moment sitting in fourth place general, 17 seconds behind Wiebes, however extra importantly, 5 seconds forward of GC favourites: defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini and teammate Gaia Realini (Lidl-Trek), Mavi García (Liv AlUla Jayco), and Silvia Persico (UAE Group ADQ), to call a number of.
Final yr, the climb determined the winner when Longo Borghini received the stage alongside teammate Gaia Realini, however many believed that the latter was the stronger climber of the 2 that day. It will likely be fascinating to see how they play their ways this time round.
“We’re able to play our playing cards one of the best we are able to,” Realini mentioned after stage 2. “Replicating final yr’s script could be unbelievable, however yearly is completely different. We are going to see how the opposite women are doing, and I’ll give my greatest.”
Longo Borghini mentioned that tactical selections would possible be performed out on the roads towards Jebel Hafeet. “I’m at all times blissful to let Gaia go if she drops everybody. However this can be a choice that the staff chief is making, and it is lower than me to determine.”
