An excellent team performance, but unfortunately no chance of a stage win for Lotte Kopecky following a collision in the final metres

A strong team performance on stage 2 of La Vuelta, and an outstanding Anna van der Breggen, but unfortunately no stage win for Team SD Worx-Protime. After the team dropped Anna & Lotte Kopecky off on the foot of the final climb, AVDB controlled the pace on the final climb, after which she watched out for Lotte Kopecky to lead her out towards the sprint. Unfortunately the Belgian could not continue her sprint after a collision in the final meters. Kopecky managed to stay upright, Anna finished as 6th in the stage. 

Kopecky: “My Team SD Worx-Protime team mates did a perfect job. They dropped me on the final climb. We knew it was going to be a tough one. Then I found Anna, who did a perfect lead-out for me. I started my sprint on the right moment. But about what happened next, I’m not going to say much. If my foot was pulled out of the pedal? No, my chain dropped. If you press both buttons at the same time, you go to your small chain ring. Just at the moment I was shifting to a bigger gear, I came in contact with Shari Bossuyt. So because of that unexpected hit both shifters were touched & my chain dropped.”

“If we decided in the race whether to go for Mischa Bredewold or me? No, we had decided beforehand we were always going to pull my card in the final. During the race Mischa Bredewold also said she wasn’t feeling very well, we could not fall back on Mischa in that case. But we were doing great. Everything went according to plan. The team did an amazing job & let’s be proud on that”, said Kopecky.