Lotte Kopecky was unfortunately not able to compete for the victory in Nokere Koerse on Wednesday. A leading group of three ahead of the peloton. Amy Pieters was the fastest of the trio. A few seconds later, Lotte Kopecky was the first of the peloton to cross the finish line.
“We had quite a bit of bad luck at the start of the race. Valerie Demey fell and Alison Jackson had a flat tire. They were both able to reconnect with the peloton without too much trouble”, says sports director Eric van den Boom.
With more than forty kilometres to go, Grace Brown, Lisa Klein and Amy Pieters took the lead. “The gap often fluctuated between 30 and 40 seconds. With one lap to go, the difference narrowed to 11 seconds. We were hopeful that we could position Lotte Kopecky for the final sprint uphill. Unfortunately, the increased pace at the front put sand in the wheels during the chase.”
A fourth place for Lotte Kopecky who is in great shape, then turned out to be the highest possible. Van den Boom: “It is always a pity when you know that you are doing well, but you cannot take a shot at the victory.”
Photo credits: Cor Vos