The challenges of the 2025 season have continued to mount for Lotte Kopecky, who may have to close the curtain on the year even earlier than expected after further tests following her race-ending stage 3 crash at the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche have shown that there were consequences beyond what the initial assessment had revealed.
"The crash in the Ardèche race has had more serious consequences than initially thought," said her SD Worx-Protime team in a statement. "She has suffered a vertebral fracture following her crash in the third stage of the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche."
The scenario continues the tumultuous pattern of 2025 for Kopecky. The Belgian had already had to abandon the Giro d'Italia with severe back pain and then had her run at the Tour de France Femmes – where she was had been expected to be one of the top contenders – curtailed as well before deciding that with the way things had been going she would not attempt to defend her road world title in Rwanda, instead opting to look ahead to the possibility of a start at Track World Championships in Chile from October 22 to October 26.
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It had looked like the road through the rest of the season had finally hit a smooth run when Kopecky went from claiming victories at three events at the Prague Summer Track meeting at the end of August to a winning start at Tour de l'Ardèche – even though she rocked up to stage 1 with seven stitches in her knee because of a crash while our for a spin the day before the race .
The victory in stage 1 put her in the overall leaders jersey, though stage 2 of what was set to be Kopecky's final road race of the season was cancelled because of protests. Then there was the early crash on stage 3, where the team said "she immediately realised that her back was in a lot of pain and had to abandon the race".
"Initial examinations at a French hospital revealed no broken bones," said SD Worx-Protime. "However, due to persistent pain, Lotte travelled home this morning to have further tests done in Belgium.
"It is unclear what this means for the rest of the 2025 season."
Even before the fracture was revealed, Kopecky, who said her back "hurts like hell", had expressed doubt in an Instagram post over whether or not Track Worlds would be an option.
"I did not have an exact plan for after Ardeche although Track worlds were in my head. Now it’s even more unsure," she said.
Subsequent to the discovery of the fracture SD Worx-Protime outlined that time was needed before a decision could be made on Track Worlds.
"Kopecky will have to rest for the next few days," said the team. "After that, the progress of the fracture will be assessed. Only then will it be possible to say when she will be able to cycle again and how long her rehabilitation will take."•
