Lotte Kopecky makes 'the right decisions' en route to new European championship title
And that makes four: On Monday in Konya, Turkey, Lotte Kopecky once again claimed a European title in the elimination race. The 30-year-old rider was very satisfied with her performance afterwards.
"I’ve really got it down, so to speak," Kopecky began her account with a laugh in an interview with Sporza. "Before the start, I always shake from the healthy stress and tension, because it’s a race with quite a few risks. But I really enjoy doing it. Calling it a playground is an exaggeration, but I mostly had it under control."
Kopecky apparently never ran into trouble on the Konya velodrome. "At first, it was a bit of jostling, but then I moved forward to sit safely. That went pretty well. That’s how enjoyable it is to ride an elimination race."
"When you’re down to five riders and you feel your legs, you know whether a medal is possible. I still felt pretty good and made the right decisions. If it hurts for me, it usually does for the others as well. Then I have to rely on my own strength and squeeze out a final sprint."
Three more golds?
Kopecky’s hunger is certainly not satisfied yet, as she will compete in three more events in the coming days: the points race, individual pursuit, and team pursuit. "Tuesday is for recovery and Wednesday will be really tough. The confidence is there. In training, I felt very good. I’m really looking forward to the team pursuit with Shari. If we both have a good day, I think we can go very far."
