As reigning world champion, Lotte Kopecky is a favorite for the ladies’s highway race within the Paris Olympic Video games on Sunday, however the Belgian is hoping that the Dutch group with Lorena Wiebes, Marianne Vos, Ellen van Dijk and Demi Vollering will take management of constructing the race.
The Olympic format mixes the very best riders from across the globe moderately than bringing the entire high riders on this planet, a lot of whom come from conventional European biking nations. Attrition signifies that the important thing closing circuits of the race in Paris may have eradicated lots of the 96 starters earlier than they attain the ending circuits and hit the key climb of Montmarte.
Kopecky, talking to Wielerflits, is not certain how the race will play out however expects her commerce teammates and Dutch rivals to be among the many high favourites and the strongest group within the 158km race.
“It will likely be a little bit of a matter of seeing how the remainder will race,” Kopecky says of the lumpy first 100km earlier than the race reaches the Paris circuit. “I do not consider us to essentially make that race onerous from the beginning and primarily to see what the remainder needs to do first.”
With Justine Ghekiere, Julie Van de Velde and Margot Vanpachtenbeke becoming a member of Kopecky within the Belgian group, she recognised that their quartet may not be of the identical stage as her Dutch rivals however she’s assured in each her group and her means to work any state of affairs.
“I do not assume the extent of my teammates is that dangerous. I am fairly satisfied that they nonetheless have the qualities to be within the closing, relying on how the match goes. And in the event that they’re gone, it is as a result of the race was actually robust and so they needed to work actually onerous. It will be good if I may nonetheless have a couple of of them within the closing.”
Belgium is among the 5 groups that certified to have 4 riders within the race alongside Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, and Nice Britain. The subsequent 5 nations within the rating get three spots, the are two for locations 11-20, after which one apiece for nations ranked 21-45. The group steadiness and sizes add one more variable to a state of affairs already loaded with them.
“It isn’t an excellent tough course, however will probably be a gruelling race as a result of it is onerous to regulate. A gruelling race is in precept to my benefit, however there are different riders who can be proud of this,” Kopecky advised Wielerflits.
There have been comparisons between the Paris course and that of the Glasgow World Championships the place Kopecky dominated within the closing to win the rainbow jersey. The important thing query of how decisive the Montmartre climb can be “relies upon a bit on how tough the race has already been,” whereas Kopecky additionally pointed to the truth that whereas it’s a climb that fits a number of riders it’s an apparent level for the peloton to be on excessive alert as nicely.
In Tokyo, the Dutch group made an enormous mistake in letting Anna Kiesenhofer (Austria) get an enormous lead along with her solo assault and got here away dissatisfied. Kopecky hopes they will not make the identical error in Paris.
“I hope they are going to management as a result of they do have one of many high favourites of their ranks,” Kopecky mentioned. “Someplace they need to take some duty. We noticed how issues may go mistaken in Tokyo, which was an awesome disgrace for them. If vital, we will even talk very nicely amongst ourselves, however I don’t intend to burn out teammates at the start of the race.”
Nor will Kopecky be focusing solely on Lorena Wiebes, who is anticipated to be her fundamental challenger.
“I’ve a number of belongings to win the race, and that’s to my benefit. I don’t profit from one state of affairs, there are a number of attainable. Then again, will probably be an unpredictable race and I can not say rather more about it,” Kopecky mentioned.
“I hope that the items of the puzzle will fall into place. However sure, that’s what [Elisa] Longo Borghini, [Kasia] Niewiadoma and Vos will assume. They’re the principle contenders subsequent to Wiebes, however I feel that there are a variety of outsiders, resembling Kim Le Court docket or Grace Brown. They will additionally pull off a shock.”
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