After weeks of speculation, Wout van Aert and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot have made their decision about the World Championships. The two have chosen not to travel to Rwanda, while Tadej Pogacar has announced his arrival at the first World Championships on African soil. But for the other reigning champion, Lotte Kopecky, we still have no definitive 'yes' or 'no' about her participation one and a half months before the global title battle. What’s the situation?
After a difficult Tour de France Femmes, Kopecky has temporarily withdrawn from the spotlight. No expectations, no pressure to perform—just some time for herself. Exactly what the defending world champion needed, according to Belgian national coach Ludwig Willems.
"She needs to recharge her mental batteries," Willems told the cycling news website WielerFlits. "I consciously chose not to contact her after the Tour because she’s already being pulled in many directions. Starting with every day during the Tour itself: everyone wanted to know what was wrong, and she gave an explanation daily. But sometimes it’s important to disconnect from that and find yourself again. We must not underestimate how much has come at her. Everyone wanted a piece of her over the past years. If she wanted, she could have shown some 'act of presence' somewhere every day."
It’s also the toll of recent years that Kopecky herself saw as a possible explanation for her slump in France after the Tour. "It’s certainly possible she experienced a setback, but the exact reason is never clear. You also have to consider that she had a very difficult winter due to a knee injury, and she completely changed her training and preparations to target a general classification in the Tour de France. Due to the combination of these factors, she’s been playing catch-up all season."
Kopecky impressively won the Tour of Flanders - photo: Cor Vos
But for Willems, this does not yet have to mean a catastrophe for Rwanda. "Lotte is the perfect example of someone who learns from her mistakes. I remember she went to her first Tour with high expectations and was determined to win a stage. That went badly, but she was back to normal very quickly afterward. Mentally, these things are tough to deal with, even for a great champion like Lotte, but she is very resilient. She always wants to come back stronger."
Whether she can get herself ready in a short period for Rwanda is hard for Willems to predict. "It works in her favor that she finished the Tour with a satisfactory performance for herself and the team—even though mentally it wasn’t easy. It’s always possible she shows up at the World Championships, but that’s difficult to forecast. Switching that mental switch is something she mainly needs to do herself. Lotte is fairly introverted, someone who likes to handle and process everything on her own. But if necessary, we’ll be there for her."
No pressure, but belief
Willems will continue this 'low profile' approach in the coming weeks. During his last meetings with Kopecky on the final weekend of the Tour, he made no arrangements about a possible World Championships participation. "The only thing we discussed is that she would have all the time and space to put everything in order. She would let me know what the plans are, but so far I haven’t received any confirmation. I’m definitely not someone who’s going to tell Lotte: you’re going to do this or that! I leave her free."
But the national coach firmly believes in the chances of a third consecutive world title. "The door on our side remains open. In Rwanda, unlike the tough men’s race, the women will face a classic course. The repeated climbs do mean a huge amount of elevation has to be conquered. Still, I think the riders who shine in the Flemish classics or the Amstel Gold Race will compete for the prizes in Rwanda. And that includes Lotte."
