Lotte Kopecky will line up in Montreal on Saturday as one of just two women to have worn the rainbow stripes as world champion alongside reigning champion Magdeleine Vallieres.
The Belgian has won the Road Worlds twice before, in Glasgow in 2023 and Zurich in 2024. She's perhaps not the top favourite to win again in the 180.1km elite women's road race on Saturday, but she lines up among the main contenders for the win.
Instead, it's Giro and Tour champion Demi Vollering who lines up as the top favourite for glory in Montreal as head of the Dutch squad. Speaking on Friday, she acknowledged that Vollering stands out as the favourite, but pointed out that there are plenty of other contenders.
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"I think she might well be the woman to beat, but there are a lot of riders lying in wait with many strong qualities who certainly shouldn't be considered inferior to Demi. I'm also very curious to see how the race unfolds on Saturday," Kopecky told VTM.
"The form of the day will be decisive. I'm hoping for a top day for myself – fresh legs, a good feeling. If that top day comes, then a lot is possible."
Kopecky leads a strong Belgian squad on Saturday, with Belgian champion Shari Bossuyt and former Omloop Het Nieuwsblad champion Lotte Claes also in the squad, along with Sandrine Tas, Margot Vanpachtenbeke, and Julie Van De Velde.
Vollering's Dutch squad, along with Spain, France, and Italy, stand out among the other strong teams which will take on the challenging Mount Royal circuit in Montreal. The 148-strong peloton will tackle eight laps of the hilly circuit which features the Camillien Houde climb (1.7km at 7.3%).
Kopecky reconned the circuit earlier this week, calling it a "very tough" challenge with few chances to recover. She said that people counted her out ahead of the Zurich Worlds, which featured a similarly tough climb. Of course, she went on to win then, sprinting to victory from a group of six riders, including Vollering.
"I learned that it's a very tough circuit. A very fast course with very few recovery moments. If we look at today's races, it's an extremely tough elimination race, a battle of attrition," she said.
"I'm not comparing this course to Zurich, but I'm of the opinion that the majority of people also considered Zurich too tough for me. I'm very happy that I proved them wrong there."
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