GLASGOW – Maybe it's life that's made her angry and now Every time she gets on her bike, Lotte Kopecky has a dedication to makeLast winter was tough. The death of his brother Seppe, who was his idol and he convinced her to take up cycling, he shook her to her core. They were always together, even when they did the wrong things. Then the separation from Kieran De Fauw, teammate and coach, which last year led her to victory in the Strade Bianche and the Flanders and to second place at the World Championships in Wollongong, forced her to reorganise her life. Blows that could have knocked her down, but instead the new world champion emerged stronger and more determined..
A very hard year
So today, on the Glasgow Circuit which many had described as tailored to his characteristics, Kopecky She put her life on her shoulders and played her cards regardless of the others. Especially when she realized that others had recognized her strength and never ever would they have helped her achieve her goal: the third world title in the same week, after the elimination and points race on the track (to which must be added the bronze in the omnium).
"I don't know what I was thinking when I crossed the finish line," he says. It's been a fantastic year so far, but also a very tough one.I don't know what keeps me going, but this victory means a lot to me. In the face of my brother's death. I could have decided to stay on the sofa at home or to set off on my bike: I chose the secondAnd this is a dream come true. I've improved so much. I know my body and how it reactsI think I've found a good balance between training and the fun part of cycling. The mental aspect is important, whereas before I always thought only about training. Instead, I learned to be happy as a person, when I'm not a cyclist."
A nervous race
Powerful as when the legs would go by themselves, Kopecky ran all day in the wind, to the point of making one think that he wanted to throw it away at all costs, opening the door to Vollering and Van Vleuten, but also to Marlene Reusser and the usual Cecile Ludwig. What wasn't clear, however, was the insane amount of forces he still had at his disposal..
«It was a very nervous race – he says – the collaboration up front was not the typical thing you would talk about when you return home. I urged them to help me, but I didn't know what their condition was, So I started to look only at myself. I wasn't nervous about my condition, but Elise Chabbey was a minute and a half ahead of us and we had seen that on this path it is not easy to bring someone back. I had come to see him and I understood how important and necessary it was to run ahead, even if it meant spending more."
The right to win
The race actually changed after Chabbey was taken over and Kopecky was finally able to look her opponents in the face and attack to reach the finish lineShe did it with 7 kilometers to go and then never looked back.
"I have to thank Sanne Cant for her efforts in the early laps," he explains, "and Justine Ghekiere also did well when I asked her to keep up the pace. Julie Van de Velde helped me get back into the group after I had to change bikes. But I really felt I would win at the top of Montrose StreetThe race was exhausting. I wasn't sure, but once I reached the top with 1,5 kilometers to go, I knew I could do it. It wasn't easy to fight against my clubmates, also because we are very good friends.But today each of us knew we had the right to win. Then, outside the race, we would have congratulated each other, as actually happened."
Three World Cups in 7 days
They say that in Belgium it has become popular even off the bike, who can't walk around without being stopped, just like her male colleagues. She blushes and laughs, almost as if she can't understand why this happens. But then she pulls out all the stops and takes another shot.
«Belgium is a great cycling country – he says – but the female part is lateI'm proud to have shown that I can win even the most important races. I hope these victories will help convince the girls and sponsors that there is room for us too.After two world championships on the track, I thought it would be almost impossible to add another one today. Three times world champion in seven days. Too crazy to explain in simple words…».
