When it was confirmed that Lorena Wiebes' had made a surprise transfer from Team DSM to SD Worx in 2023, many in the cycling community anticipated that the move might cause a sense of uneasiness for Lotte Kopecky, as if two riders of comparable strength and stature might not be able to co-exist on the same team.
Kopecky has put such speculation to rest in an interview with Sporza, revealing that she views Wiebes' transfer to SD Worx as a positive gain for both the team and her own career.
She likes the idea that she will now be free to take on more of a wildcard role at some of the biggest races.
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"I have no problem with that," Kopecky said.
"I look at that in a positive way. When we start together, I will be able to race more offensively and more freely. Because if it comes to a bunch sprint, we have Lorena."
SD Worx have consistently topped both the UCI World Ranking and Women's WorldTour ranking for six of the previous seven seasons as they continue to be the most dominant women's team in the world.
Their success is attributed to the overall strength of individual riders, team tactics, and focus on developing younger riders and future talents.
Kopecky has now completed her first full season with SD Worx, and it was a resounding success. Victories at Strade Bianche and Tour of Flanders marked the highlights of the year, and while she is an accomplished sprinter, she is also one of the most powerful punchers in the peloton.
She would like to perform just as well in 2023.
"It will be very difficult to match that or to do better. It does motivate me to work super hard again this winter and to get the highest possible out of it again next year," Kopecky said.
With 23 victories in 2022, Wiebes is arguably the best sprinter in the women’s peloton and bringing her into the roster will give SD Worx an aggressive sprinter to rely on throughout the entire Women's WorldTour.
In fact, the team have begun to build a lead-out train dedicated to Wiebes with Barbara Guarischi, Elena Cecchini, Christine Majerus, and Lonneke Uneken.
SD Worx will unite at a pre-season training camp next month, where Kopecky will learn more about her objectives for 2023.
"At the moment, I don't know exactly what my summer will look like. You have the Tour de France Femmes and the World Championships that follow shortly afterwards. We have to take a good look at that with the team," she said.
Her goals for the season will include both road and track racing, especially as she targets the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
"I'm mainly focusing on spring now. The European Championship on the track is already mid-February. It's the first qualifying competition for the Olympic Games, so that's important," said Kopecky, a four-time World Champion on the track in the Madison (twice), Elimination, and Points Race.
"I'm trying to have my big peak against the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, but the [Olympic] Games are already in the back of my mind. Hopefully, we can get a lot of points this year, so we don't have to worry about that in 2024 ."
