'This was kind of the plan, it's a dream that it turned out like this' says SD Worx teammate Vollering
SD Worx teammates Lotte Kopecky, Demi Volllering, Lorena Wiebes and Marlen Reusser celebrate after the finish of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad(Image credit: David StockmanGetty Images)
Ahead of the 2023 season, the transfer of Lorena Wiebes from Team DSM to SD Worx had been much discussed.
How would the move impact the chances of Lotte Kopecky, who had been the team's designated sprinter until now? Might the team that often had spread itself thin with many leaders and not enough support riders have gone a step too far – or would this make a squad that was already a superteam virtually invincible?
By taking first and second place in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the traditional season opener for the classics campaign, the team have given their super-domestique Christine Majerues a special birthday present and silenced their critics for now.
From a peloton that was chasing lone attacker, Movistar's Arlenis Sierra, Kopecky attacked on the famous Muur van Geraardsbergen, bridging to the Cuban and dropping her on the Bosberg to solo to victory.
"This was kind of the plan, it's a dream that it turned out like this. I had seen on our training camp that Lotte was super strong. She was so strong uphill and won a training race in our team. For me, it's no surprise," Demi Vollering explained how the team's race plan came true.
On almost any other team, Vollering would be the undisputed leader; at SD Worx, she had something of a super-domestique role in the Omloop.
"She said yesterday in the team briefing: 'I have confidence in the Bosberg'. When Lotte says something like that, it will come true. She said that last year in the Strade Bianche and the Ronde van Vlaanderen [and won both races – Ed.] – then you know that she can do it," Vollering continued.
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As Kopecky was soloing towards the finish, her teammates ran interference in the chase behind, safe in the knowledge that should the race come back together, they had the strongest sprinter in Lorena Wiebes.
In her characteristic, quiet but serene style, Wiebes was satisfied with the result.
"This is a very good start to the classics. I saw that Lotte got over the hills easily, how strong she was and that she should get her chance. What she did was very good," Wiebes said before turning to Sunday's Omloop van het Hageland where she will go for a sprint victory herself.
The European champion more than held her own in the race, being in the first chase group of ten over the Muur and in the wheel of Movistar's Liane Lippert on the Bosberg.
Lorena Wiebes sprints to second place as teammate Vollering celebrates in the background (Image credit: Luc ClaessenGetty Images)
With a fast finisher like Kopecky able to attack, the fastest sprinter of the women's peloton finding her classics resilience, plus a multitude of other cards to play, rival teams may be caught between a rock and a hard place.
Race winner Kopecky was in much demand by the local media after the race as the first Belgian woman to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
"I didn't know this before yesterday. But it's nice to have it on my palmarès," she said of this milestone.
The win also brought the 27-year-old another reward: A Belgian TV producer had promised her a portion of bitterballen, a popular Lowlands snack of fried meatballs, if she won the Omloop.
In the event, Kopecky received a cone of proper Belgian fries that she ate in the TV studio while answering questions about her off-season weight loss of more than 3kg.
"It's not that I was too heavy, but there was still room for improvement. I didn't cut everything from my diet," she said – evidenced by the post-race fries. "But as I get older, losing weight gets a bit easier, and it was clearly the right choice," she said.
"Lorena was really strong. We are in good shape for the spring and can help each other well. We have a good connection within the team. Sometimes it is a give and take," Kopecky continued.
With races such as the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche, and the Tour of Flanders now on her palmarès, the Belgian is looking forward to one spring Classic in particular.
"Paris-Roubaix has been on my mind for some time," she hinted at a challenge for the famous pavé trophy.
In 2022, Kopecky finished second in the sprint of a small group behind solo winner Elisa Longo Borghini – but the 2023 Kopecky just showed that she can go for a solo herself, too.
Lukas Knöfler started working in cycling communications in 2013 and has seen the inside of the scene from many angles. Having worked as press officer for teams and races and written for several online and print publications, he has been Cyclingnews’ Women’s WorldTour correspondent since 2018.
