Lotte Kopecky will lead a team of promising next-generation riders competing for SD Worx at the Giro d'Italia Donne set to begin on Thursday with an opening prologue on the island of Sardinia for what director Lars Boom called "a journey of discovery without pressure."
SD Worx has registered a six-rider team but confirmed on the eve of the event that climber Anna Shackley has tested positive for COVID-19. She will be replaced by Christine Majerus.
The powerful Dutch squad swept the overall GC podium at last year's Giro Donne with Anna van der Breggen winning the overall title ahead of Ashleigh Moolman Pasio and Demi Vollering.
This year, Van der Breggen has moved into a team director's role while Moolman Pasio and Vollering have opted to skip the Italian event in favour of competing at the Tour de France Femmes from July 24-31.
"My plan changed. I'm not racing Giro anymore. I raced [Women's Tour] and now altitude training to prepare for TdFF," Moolman Pasio, who also won the queen stage atop Monte Matajur in 2021, confirmed in a post on Twitter.
The Giro team will be led by Kopecky, who will be pursuing stage wins, and experienced riders Christine Majerus, who replaced Shackley, and Elena Cecchini. The team has also given opportunity to its younger riders Blanka Vas, Niamh Fisher-Black, and Lonneke Uneken.
"Our team has ridden the Giro very dominantly in recent years and has achieved many successes. However, this year it will not be a given to go for the final win. We are here with a number of young girls for whom it is the first big tour. For them, it will be a journey of discovery without pressure. It can be very liberating to be able to race without pressure," said Boom.
Kopecky, who will also race the Tour de France Femmes at the end of July, will undoubtedly be eyeing the opening 4.7km prologue on Thursday in Cagliari, along with sprint days: stage 2: Villasimius to Tortoli, stage 3: Dorgali to Olbia, stage 5: Carpi to Reggio Emilia, and the finale stage 10: Abano Terme to Padova.
"Lotte is our leader in this Giro. With her, we want to go for a stage win. There are several opportunities. It starts already in the prologue and also the first two stages in line may end in a sprint," Boom said.
"In addition, she rides the Giro with a view to the Tour. Therefore she can go in relaxed. She does not have to ride a classification. I think she also just wants to ride the double to experience what it is like to ride two long races in a row. If you have the Giro in your legs and you come out well rested, you might be able to do something extra towards the Tour de France.
"The Giro also offers us the chance to perfect our sprint train. The more you do something like that, the better you get at it. We have the right people with us in Italy. Lotte is very fast, but Lonneke Uneken can also do well in sprints. We have to develop that further. With Lotte Kopecky, Lonneke Uneken, Blanka Vas, Christine Majerus and Elena Cecchini we have four ideal riders to set up a sprint train."
The three decisive mountainous days on stage 7: Prevalle to Passo Maniva, stage 8: Rovereto to Aldeno, and stage 9: San Michele All'Adige to San Lorenzo Dorsino will suit Fisher-Black.
"Niamh is one of the girls who can start the race with an open mind. She can discover what her possibilities are uphill. If she has a bad day, that's okay. This fits her development as a rider. If the Giro becomes even tougher in the coming years, then this will be her course even more," Boom said.
The remaining stages are suited to breakaways with undulating terrain and open to possibilities and potential stage wins - stage 4: Cesena to Cesena and stage 6: Sarnico to Bergamo.
"Everyone will get his chance to win a stage in this Giro. We can race with an open mind," Boom said.
