Rider Profile
Lotte Kopecky
SD Worx-Protime
Personal Details:
Teams history:
- 2025 - SD Worx-Protime
- 2024 - SD Worx-Protime
- 2023 - Team SD Worx
- 2022 - Team SD Worx
- 2021 - Liv Racing
- 2020 - Lotto Soudal Ladies
- 2019 - Lotto Soudal Ladies
- 2018 - Lotto Soudal Ladies
- 2017 - Lotto Soudal Ladies
- 2016 - Lotto Soudal Ladies
Biography:
Classics star and multi-discipline World Champion Lotte Kopecky, born November 10th, 1995 in Rumst, Belgium, turned professional with the Belgian Continental Topsport-Vlaanderen-Pro-Duo team in 2014. Her first win came two years later, in the low-profile Trofee Maerten Wynants one-day race.
A talented track racer, Kopecky has taken two World Track Championships gold medals in the Madison, in 2017 and again in 2022, and another in the points. Also on the track she has netted various European championships, World Cup and national titles.
In 2020 in the revised late season, Kopecky won both the Belgian national road race title and, for the second time of four to date in her career, the national time trial. She also netted a stage victory at the Giro d'Italia Donne and podium finishes at Le Samyn des Dames, Gent-Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders, and Brugge-De Panne.
That string of success was enough for her to move from her longstanding squad Lotto Soudal Ladies to Liv Racing (formerly CCC-Liv) in a one-year deal for 2021, the first Women’s WorldTeam of her career. That season she once again clinched both the time trial and road titles in the Belgian National Championships.
Kopecky’s biggest success on the road has been in one-day Classics, where in 2022, racing for her current SD Worx squad, she triumphed on home soil at the Ronde van Vlaanderen as well as in the Strade Bianche in Italy. Kopecky also secured a second place in Paris-Roubaix, and she rounded it out with a silver medal in the World Championships road race.
It was in 2023 where Kopecky was overcome with emotions as she won the rainbow jersey in the road race at the Glasgow Worlds. Her older brother Seppe, who had raced for seven years, had died unexpectedly in March and he had been an inspiration for Kopecky's highly-successful career. Days following her family's loss, Kopecky raced at Nokere Koerse and smashed the peloton for a solo victory. Since that race, she went on for 11 victories on the road, including the Tour of Flanders, Lotte Thüringen Ladies Tour and double road and time trial national titles in Belgium. To close out 2023 she won the opening stage at the Tour de France Femmes, wearing the yellow jersey for six days, won the GC at Simac Ladies Tour and took third in the road race at the European Championships.
Kopecky had an equally spectacular 2024 season, taking out early wins in Strade Bianche and Nokere Koerse. While she looked uncharacteristically off in the Tour of Flanders, she rebounded to win Paris-Roubaix. She won the opening two stages of the Tour of Britain before claiming dual titles at the Belgian championships, then won a stage and finished second overall in the Giro d'Italia before focussing on the Olympic Games. She made the winning move but couldn't match the USA's Kristen Faulkner in the end game in Paris, but won the bronze medal in a sprint against Marianne Vos. She closed out her season with wins in the Tour de Romandie and the European time trial championships before successfully defending her rainbow jersey in the UCI Road World Championships in Zurich.
Key results
2024
🥇 UCI Road World Championships elite women's road race
🥉 Olympic Games road race
🥇 Strade Bianche
🥇 Nokere Koerse
🥇 Paris-Roubaix
🥇 Two stages, overall Tour of Britain
🥇 Belgian National Championships road race
🥇 Belgian National Championships time trial
🥇 One stage, points classification Giro d'Italia
🥇 Tour de Romandie
🥇 European Championships time trial
🥇 One stage, overall Simac Ladies Tour
2023
🥇 UCI Road World Championships elite women's road race
🥇 One stage and points classification at Tour de France Femmes
🥇 Tour of Flanders
🥇 Danilith Nokere Koerse
🥇 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
🥇 One stage and GC at Lotto Belgium Tour
🥇 Two stages, points classification and GC at Thüringen Ladies Tour
🥇 Belgian National Championships road race
🥇 Belgian National Championships time trial
🥈 Strade Bianche
2022
🥇 World Track Championships in Madison (and 2017)
🥇 Tour of Flanders
🥇 Strade Bianche
🥇 One stage at Vuelta a Burgos
🥇 Belgian National Championships time trial
🥈 Paris-Roubaix
🥈 World Road Championships road race
2021
🥇 One stage at Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta
🥇 One stage at Thüringen Ladies Tour
🥇 Belgian National Championships road race
🥇 Belgian National Championships time trial
Fourth Tokyo Olympic Games road race
2020
🥇 One stage at Giro d’Italia Donne
🥇 Belgian National Championships road race
🥇 Belgian National Championships time trial
2019
🥇 Belgian National Championships time trial
🥇 Vuelta a la Comunitat Valenciana Feminas
🥈 Lotto Belgium Tour
2018
🥇 World Track Championships in Points
🥈Belgian National Championships time trial
Related Articles
'I'm not satisfied with second place' - Kopecky disappointed at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
By Kirsten Frattini published
News 'Marianne was just faster in the sprint. She was strong, and then you know it's going to be tough to drop her' says World Champion
Lotte Kopecky commits long-term future to SD Worx-Protime until 2028
By James Moultrie published
News 'I feel good with this team, and most importantly, I can be myself' says World Champion
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – Analysing the contenders
By Kirsten Frattini, Daniel Ostanek published
Analysis Cyclingnews looks at 10 key riders to watch as the curtain rises on the Spring Classics at Opening Weekend
'There's room for improvement' - Lotte Kopecky on track for dominant Spring Classics campaign
By Lukas Knöfler published
News Classics stars Kopecky, Jackson, Longo Borghini and Norsgaard speak from UAE Tour Women
Lotte Kopecky confirms early-season form with UAE Tour Women queen stage victory
By Lukas Knöfler published
News Well-prepared world champion unbeatable on Jebel Hafeet
'I want to try my best' - Kopecky to test legs against top climbers on Jebel Hafeet
By Kirsten Frattini published
News UAE Tour Women overall classification to be decided on steep 10km ascent
World champion Lotte Kopecky aims high in 2024 with Paris-Roubaix, Olympic goals
By Amy Jones published
News In a slow build to the season, Belgian plays down expectations for Opening Weekend
Great Britain top medal count at European Track Championships
By Laura Weislo published
News Ethan Hayter takes men's Omnium, Kopecky wins double titles
Blogs
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Nathan Haas blog: Has the UCI done enough for gravel pros at the Gravel World Championships?
Sponsored gravel riders appear to be losing interest in the rainbow jersey battle -
Lauren De Crescenzo and her tough decision to miss UCI Gravel World Championships
In her own words, the gravel star explains the complex picture of the Gravel World Championships for the US team -
A proper women's race – Historic day in Emporia at Unbound Gravel
Extended gaps around women's start end with unprecedented sprint finish though 'it’s still imperfect, but it’s the best we can do for now' -
Road prep and adapting to new rules as Life Time Grand Prix begins at Fuego XL mountain bike event
Lauren De Crescenzo uses The Growler for confidence boost ride ahead of prestigious off-road series -
'Untapped gold' in store for inaugural RADL GRVL in South Australia
Nathan Haas calls gravel course 'raw, fast, exciting' after pre-ride with co-founder Valtteri Bottas