Lotte Kopecky sprints to second place in opening stage of Vuelta Femenina

In the opening stage of the Vuelta Femenina, Lotte Kopecky finished second. Team SD Worx–Protime was alert at the front of the race and positioned themselves well. On the final climb, only Noemi Rüegg was stronger than Kopecky. “This feels somewhat like a missed opportunity.”

Lotte Kopecky: “Everything went perfectly until the final corner. The team did a good job. Until we entered the final corner and I came out of that corner without any speed. Ferrand-Prévot took the inside line there, and I felt that she maintained more speed on the inside. I still need to review it to see exactly what I did wrong there. I’m disappointed, because this would have been a great opportunity to win and take the red jersey. It’s frustrating to just miss out like that,” said Kopecky.

Sport director Christian Kos: “Fortunately, we were not involved in the crash, which allowed us to deliver Lotte on the final uphill section as planned. Rüegg and Koch launched their sprint slightly earlier with more speed from behind, which turned Lotte’s sprint into a chase. She was able to catch Koch again, but unfortunately not Rüegg. This is a strong second place. Anna van der Breggen was also well positioned, so it was a day without many ‘problems.’”