Kopecky solos to second straight Belgian women's road title
Van de Velde and Castrique take second and third
Lotte Kopecky (Liv Racing) prolonged her Belgian title with a solo ride to the victory in Waregem after attacking 8km from the finish.
Julie Van de Velde (Jumbo-Visma) grabbed the silver medal with a late solo effort. Alana Castrique (Lotto Soudal) won the peloton sprint for the bronze medal at 20 seconds behind Kopecky.
Just like last year, Kopecky was able to claim the double at the Belgian National Championships with the victory in the time trial and the road race.
“I hoped for it but it was quite the task to actually do it. I didn’t feel good in the first hours of the race and hoped I would get better. I didn’t mix in with the attacks, realizing that I would have to go all in with a late attack. I timed it well,” Kopecky told Sporza in the post-race interview.
She’s taking over the role of leading lady in Belgian women’s cycling, with Jolien D’hoore soon waving the sport goodbye. Kopecky remained humble, however.
“Well, I’m sure there’s other women doing great things in other disciplines,” Kopecky said.
The race was decided at the Holstraat climb, the backside of the more famous cobbled Nokereberg climb, just under 10km from the finish. A long solo attempt from Ann-Sophie Duyck came to an end when Shari Bossuyt (NXTG) blasted by with only nine riders chasing her down.
“The plan was to set the pace on the first part of the climb up the Holstraat with me going full gas on the second part,” Kopecky said. "I realized that Jolien was very strong. In the final lap the pace was high because Shari Bossuyt was up the road and Jolien had to spend some energy. I saw she was going through a difficult moment. I told myself to keep calm until we reached the top and then go all in."
None of the nine chasers was able to join the move and Kopecky quickly collected a bonus of 13s. A second group of eleven riders bridged up with the chase group but Kopecky kept increasing her lead.
“I didn’t know how far behind they were. With 3km to go I saw the gap was half a minute and then I knew it was in the pocket,” Kopecky said.
When asked why she didn’t bank on her sprint, Kopecky explained she felt that a solo move had a bigger chance of success.
“No, I wasn’t confident that I would win the sprint so I tried to see what the better options were to get the title. It was the best decision.”
Just before the final kilometre, Julie Van de Velde jumped away from the peloton. The 28 year-old rode a strong race but was unable to respond to Kopecky’s move. She did manage to keep the peloton at distance and capture a well-deserved second place.
Castrique won the peloton sprint and was delighted with the resulting third place, lifting her arms in the air. Shari Bossuyt was fourth, Nathalie Bex fifth and Jolien D’hoore concluded her final Belgian championship race on the road with a sixth place.
Young Julie De Wilde was seventh ahead of Marion Norbert-Riberolle, who recently swapped the French nationality for a Belgian passport. Valerie Demey worked hard for Lotte Kopecky in the build-up to the final climb and she still managed to get a top-10 result for herself, finishing just ahead of Kiona Crabbé.
Pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Lotte Kopecky (Bel) Liv Racing | 3:07:55 |
2 | Julie Van De Velde (Bel) Jumbo-Visma Women Team | 0:00:14 |
3 | Alana Castrique (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | 0:00:19 |
4 | Shari Bossuyt (Bel) NXTG Racing | |
5 | Nathalie Bex (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire | |
6 | Jolien D'Hoore (Bel) Team SD Worx | |
7 | Julie De Wilde (Bel) Plantur-Pura | |
8 | Marion Norbert-Riberolle (Bel) | |
9 | Valerie Demey (Bel) Liv Racing | |
10 | Kiona Crabbé (Bel) Plantur-Pura | |
11 | Ellen van Loy (Bel) | |
12 | Naomi De Roeck (Bel) LVIV Cycling Team | |
13 | Kelly Van Den Steen (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire | |
14 | Lien Lanssens (Bel) | |
15 | Justine Ghekiere (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire | |
16 | Sanne Cant (Bel) Plantur-Pura | |
17 | Nathalie Verschelden (Bel) | |
18 | Lone Meertens (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
19 | Karen Verhestraeten (Bel) Plantur-Pura | |
20 | Sara Van De Vel (Bel) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants | 0:00:22 |
21 | Kim de Baat (Bel) | 0:00:42 |
22 | Mieke Docx (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team | |
23 | Marthe Truyen (Bel) Plantur-Pura | |
24 | Jesse Vandenbulcke (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
25 | Fien Delbaere (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team | |
26 | Kelly Druyts (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire | |
27 | Saartje Vandenbroucke (Bel) | |
28 | Esmee Gielkens (Bel) | |
29 | Fiona Mertens (Bel) | |
30 | Ann-Sophie Duyck (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team | |
31 | Lotte Claes (Bel) | |
32 | Britt Knaven (Bel) NXTG Racing | |
33 | Suzanne Verhoeven (Bel) | |
34 | Marijke De Smedt (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team | |
35 | Jinse Peeters (Bel) Plantur-Pura | 0:01:15 |
36 | Lenny Druyts (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire | 0:02:34 |
37 | Jade Lenaers (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team | 0:03:19 |
38 | Elise Vander Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | 0:03:32 |
39 | Ellen Feytens (Bel) | |
40 | Sandrine Tas (Bel) | |
41 | Katrijn de Clercq (Bel) | |
42 | Joyce Vanderbeken (Bel) | |
43 | Laura van Geyt (Bel) | |
44 | Fenna Vanhoutte (Bel) | |
45 | Justine Vromanne (Bel) | |
46 | Gloria Van Mechelen (Bel) LVIV Cycling Team | |
47 | Valerie Jenaer (Bel) | |
48 | Audrey de Keersmaeker (Bel) | |
49 | Isabelle Beckers (Bel) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants | |
50 | Luca de Langhe (Bel) | |
51 | Femke van Goethem (Bel) | |
52 | Caren Commissaris (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire | |
53 | Hanna Theys (Bel) | |
54 | Demmy Druyts (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire | |
55 | Julie Brouwers (Bel) | |
56 | Sarah Borremans (Bel) LVIV Cycling Team | |
57 | Amber Lacompte (Bel) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants | |
58 | Jana Dobbelaere (Bel) | |
59 | Alyssa Lurquin (Bel) | |
60 | Maxime Roes (Bel) | |
61 | Lensy Debboudt (Bel) | |
62 | Brenda Goessens (Bel) | |
63 | Glacia Dhont (Bel) | |
64 | Katie van Geyte (Bel) | |
65 | Kelly Decaluwe (Bel) | |
66 | Nele van Baelen (Bel) | |
67 | Justine Lescrauwaet (Bel) | |
68 | Eefje Brandt (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team | |
69 | Kim Knaeps (Bel) | |
70 | Maurine Ricour (Bel) | 0:03:38 |
71 | Dina Scavone (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team | 0:03:42 |
72 | Laura Verdonschot (Bel) | |
73 | Fien Van Eynde (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team | |
74 | Meg de Bruyne (Bel) | 0:04:00 |
75 | Lara Defour (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team | 0:04:01 |
76 | Bonnie Delanote (Bel) | |
77 | D' HONDT Silke | 0:05:55 |
78 | Yasmine de Wulf (Bel) | 0:07:09 |
79 | Silke Janssens (Bel) | |
80 | Shana Maes (Bel) | |
81 | Chayenne Vranken (Bel) | 0:07:17 |
82 | Evy Roelen (Bel) | |
83 | Marie Vandecasteele (Bel) | |
84 | Tessa Zwaenepoel (Bel) | |
85 | Allison Zava (Bel) | |
86 | Marjolijn Boerjan (Bel) | |
87 | Isabel Vandewalle (Bel) | |
88 | Sarah ten Hartog (Bel) | |
89 | Laura Charlier (Bel) | |
90 | Lies de Vleminck (Bel) | |
91 | Fleur Vandecaveye (Bel) | |
92 | Aiko Uyttenhove (Bel) | |
93 | Jasmien de Boeck (Bel) | |
94 | Evelien Debboudt (Bel) | |
95 | Carolien Haers (Bel) | |
96 | Fien De Wispelaere (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team | |
97 | Julie Debock (Bel) | |
98 | Naika Deneef (Bel) | 0:07:22 |
DNF | Loes Sels (Bel) | |
DNF | Marjolein Moreau (Bel) | |
DNF | Britt Verbeek (Bel) | |
DNF | Camille Delestrait (Bel) | |
DNF | Elena Debouck (Bel) | |
DNF | Lauren Devos (Bel) | |
DNF | Ditte Lenseclaes (Bel) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants | |
DNF | Mieke Leeman (Bel) | |
DNF | Fanny van Driessche (Bel) | |
DNF | Anka Hermans (Bel) | |
DNF | Steffi Verdickt (Bel) | |
DNF | Charlotte Pennynck (Bel) | |
DNF | Margot Bourguignon (Bel) | |
DNF | Noémi van der Borcht (Bel) | |
DNF | Machalina Dereere (Bel) | |
DNF | Astrid Heggerick (Bel) | |
DNF | Florelien van de Velde (Bel) | |
DNF | Febe Schokkaert (Bel) | |
DNF | Jessy Derder (Bel) | |
DNF | Malou van Hooste (Bel) | |
DNF | Tinne Vermeiren (Bel) | |
DNF | Tara Gins (Bel) | |
DNF | D´HAUWE Silke | |
DNF | Emily de Cuyper (Bel) | |
DNF | Paquita Derie (Bel) | |
DNF | Fauve Bastiaenssen (Bel) | |
DNF | Lotte Popelier (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team | |
DNF | Erin Hoefkens (Bel) | |
DNF | BLONDÉ Stephanie | |
DNF | Kato Aerts (Bel) | |
DNF | An Wellens (Bel) | |
DNF | Anthea Vansteenkiste (Bel) | |
DNF | Nicky Apers (Bel) | |
DNF | Stephanie Kemps (Bel) | |
DNF | Eve Didier (Bel) | |
DNF | Marie Maes (Bel) | |
DNF | Francine Delain (Bel) | |
DNF | Xena van Hecke (Bel) | |
DNF | Sophie Brouckaert (Bel) | |
DNF | Sandrine Derwaux (Bel) | |
DNF | Joyce Accoe (Bel) | |
DNF | Liliane Leenknegt (Bel) | |
DNF | Herlinde Coudeville (Bel) | |
DNF | Tine Rombouts (Bel) | |
DNF | Fiebe Vanheule (Bel) | |
DNF | Maelle Michotte (Bel) | |
DNF | Amber Aernouts (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team | |
DNF | Liena Vanderheyden (Bel) | |
DNF | Anse Debaere (Bel) | |
DNF | Ines Malfait (Bel) | |
DNF | Deisy Schaele (Bel) | |
DNF | Perrine Sadoine (Bel) | |
DNF | Anne-Sophie Lens (Bel) |
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