Lotte Kopecky blijft in het geel nadat ze als tweede finisht met een leeglopende band

Lotte Kopecky blijft in het geel nadat ze als tweede finisht met een leeglopende band

“Jammer dat ik een lekke band had, want ik had goede benen”

25/07/2023

Lotte Kopecky defended her yellow jersey with verve in the second stage of the Tour de France Femmes to Mauriac. After a clever lead-out by Demi Vollering, the Belgian champion sprinted to second place behind Germany's Liane Lippert. In the standings, Kopecky increased her lead to 49 seconds. "Too bad my rear tyre had a deflation, because there might have been more in it. Winning in yellow would have been nice. But I am disappointed not to win the stage, but proud that yellow remains around my shoulders," said Lotte Kopecky.

Linked cyclists Lotte Kopecky Gekoppelde ploegleiders: Anna van der Breggen Danny Stam

The second hilly stage of the Tour de France Femmes featured a course that was never really flat. Heavy rain made the finale extra tough and dangerous. "It was very nervous. The roads were very slippery. The descent towards the final climb was therefore dangerous," Kopecky told past the finish.

"Demi Vollering piloted me perfectly through the last corner and there I already noticed something strange. When I turned on the sprint, I immediately felt something was wrong with my bike, but I didn't know exactly what. Only after the finish did I see that I had a deflation on my rear tyre."

Mixed feelings, then, for the 27-year-old Belgian. "I do regret it, because I had a wonderful chance to win here in yellow. You also just want to finish it when your teammates do so much work for you. Although I don't want to detract from Liane Lippert's victory. This was a finish that suits her and she was super strong. It was a deserved win. I am happy to keep the 'maillot-jaune'. Furthermore, the most important thing is that Demi Vollering is still in a good position in the standings and that everyone from Team SD Worx reached the finish safely. This was a dangerous final."

The third stage from Collonges-la-Rouge to Montignac-Lascaux through the Dordogne announces itself as a stage where the sprinters will do well. "It is less tough than today. This stage should suit Lorena Wiebes. We will see how the race goes and how the other teams want to race. But of course we hope we can drop Wiebes in a good position for the sprint," Kopecky concluded.

Read also

Your browser is out-of-date!

Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now

×