Lorena Wiebes is the fastest road sprinter in the world right now, but she may not be the SD Worx-Protime rider storming over the finish line for the victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday – a role that could also belongs to her teammate Lotte Kopecky.
The two powerhouses have made a pact, of sorts, to work together and they have ironed out specific racing targets.
"We showed over the years that we only make each other stronger and that we support each other. There can always be a situation where it is for Lotte and another time it is for me," Wiebes told select members of the media, including Cyclingnews, earlier this year.
"That is the nice thing about this team, we support each other. It was a good thing about Milan-San Remo; I won there last year, and so it is not a must-have for me to win this year."
Wiebes has been undefeated in straight-up road race sprinting since late 2024, and continued her remarkable run of success by winning the first three stages of the UAE Tour in February.
Asked about her status as the best rider in the world with 25 road race victories last year, five more than Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Wiebes said, "I don't like to call myself that." Instead, she views her performances as the result of being motivated and self-driven.
"I try to be the best version of myself and achieve the most in what I can do. Last year was special because I was unbeatable in the sprints, but that doesn't mean it will be the same this year."
Although she is off to a winning start this season, she remained pragmatic in her approach to the Spring Classics and shared goals with Kopecky. The latter had focused on the Tour de France leadership last year but has turned her attention back to more of a 'wildcard' status, and has already stated that she would like to focus on delivering a successful start at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
"We always have good talks with the team. I can say my goals, and Lotte can say her goals. We know what we expect from the season. In racing, you never know what happens, and that is the good thing. We can easily switch," Wiebes said.
"We make agreements with each other, and that is fine. That makes the team stronger. As long as the communication is good, that's the most important thing. As long as we are honest with each other, 'today I'm not feeling good, maybe you should go for the sprint or attack,' that makes it a strong team and helps us to a lot of victories."
While Kopecky told Cyclingnews that she has her sights set on a range of Spring Classics from a fourth victory at the Tour of Flanders to another chance at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and a re-do at Milan-San Remo, Wiebes is looking to peak in April for her key target.
"The big goal of the Spring Classics, for me, will be the Amstel Gold Race. Of course, I have to see how it will be," said Wiebes, also confirming that she has her sights set on the two opening stages of the Giro d'Italia, where she has a chance to wear the maglia rosa.
"And for the big goals that Lotte has in the Spring Classics, we will try to make that happen, and in racing, anything can happen, but we will try to do this as much as possible.
"We have different goals for the Spring Classics, but we want to win as much as possible. In the end, it's most important that the team wins; if it's Lotte or me, the most important thing is that we support each other."
As for Wiebes' road sprinting winning streak, she does not expect it to last much longer, especially given the unpredictability of the Spring Classics.
"It's hard to say because you don't know what the others are doing in the winter and how well they improved. Especially as a sprinter, you always start from zero."
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