Can Lotte Kopecky top off an incredible Tour de France Femmes with a GC podium place?

Can Lotte Kopecky top off an incredible Tour de France Femmes with a GC podium place?

The Belgian rider has displayed the performance of her career at this year's Tour de France Femmes

Words: India Paine

The Tour de France Femmes is not over yet, but Lotte Kopecky could not have asked for a better result. With a stage win, the overall green jersey victory, a day leading the Queen of the Mountains classification, and seven days in the sought-after yellow jersey, the Belgian rider has had the best eight days of her career, and there is still one stage to go. Now Kopecky is looking for one more achievement to add to her glittering list – a GC podium finish. 

Kopecky currently sits fourth in the general classification after the ride of her career up the Col du Tourmalet on stage seven yesterday. She now sits 2:35 behind her teammate and new maillot jaune Demi Vollering. While Vollering on the top step was SD Worx’s goal going into the Tour’s second edition and is now looking like a done deal, Kopecky can focus her chances on a podium place as she sits seven seconds behind the current third-place rider, Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar), and 45 seconds from Kasia Niewiadoma, who sits second. 

Five-time Belgian national time trial champion, Kopecky will be going into today’s stage in Pau feeling confident in her abilities for the race against the clock. Technically she is a fantastic rider, and with the podium place in striking distance, it is all to play for for the 27-year-old rider. 

She is already on the top step of the podium for the green jersey, but for SD Worx, it is never enough. “I am a Skoda ambassador, so it is really nice to wear the green Skoda jersey, and winning the jersey in the Tour is something that will not happen every year,” Kopecky said after stage seven atop the Tourmalet. “I will try and enjoy tomorrow as well, and I am just going to go full gas. This is kind of the chance of my life.” 

Kopecky celebrates Vollering's win at the finish line atop the Col du Tourmalet (Image by Thomas Maheux/ASO)

Handing over her yellow jersey to Vollering after the Dutch rider's phenomenal performance, Kopecky proved to cycling fans that she is more than just a Classics and track superstar. When given the freedom beyond team duties and hunting stage wins, she can put in a serious performance over the big mountains, crossing the finish line in fourth place. In a mountain stage, we might have expected Kopecky to slip out of reach of a podium place, but Kopecky kept the pressure on all the way to the top of the climb. She was part of a group of GC favourites, including Juliette Labous (Team dsm-firmenich), Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar), Ashleigh Moolman (AG Insurance-Quick Step), Marta Cavalli, and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-Suez), all riders who excel in uphill terrain. It was only until 5.5km to the finish after Vollering made her attack, that Kopecky was distanced alongside Labous.

“I wanted to enjoy my last day in yellow, but I guess you could say I didn’t really ‘enjoy’ it,” she laughed. “No, it was pretty painful, but I just went all out and we wanted to see where I could get.” 

Kopecky is a true athlete: determined, driven and can endure a moment of pain for the bigger picture. She’s currently in the form of her life, and with the World Championships looming – something she is aiming for – she’ll be going into the race as a serious favourite and a rider those racing will have to be aware of. But first, the SD Worx rider is focused on finishing her astounding Tour de France Femmes. And with a time trial topping off this year’s Tour, the Belgian champion might just be able to add that podium finish to her palmarès, making it a two out of three for SD Worx. Could it be a second or third-place finish for Kopecky? Only time will tell. 

*Cover image by Alex Broadway/Getty Images

Words: India Paine

READ MORE

Mark Donovan

From WorldTour rejection to Giro d'Italia stage hunting: Mark Donovan is back at cycling's top table

The Q36.5 has had a near-three-year hiatus from cycling's Grand Tours, but now riding better than ever he's once again looking to be in the...

Leer más
Mads Pedersen

Mads Pedersen is at the peak of his powers

A second stage win and a return to the maglia rosa is a fitting reward for a rider in some of his best ever form

Leer más
Giro d'Italia 2025 stage four preview: A fast finish in Lecce

Giro d'Italia 2025 stage four preview: A fast finish in Lecce

A chance for the pure sprinters to take a stage win as the Giro resumes in Italy's heel

Leer más
The Dilemma: Should Primož Roglič give away the Giro d'Italia pink jersey?

The Dilemma: Should Primož Roglič give away the Giro d'Italia pink jersey?

The Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe rider will next be able to take time on his rivals during stage seven's mountain-top finish and stage nine's gravel. Does he...

Leer más
La Reina: Demi Vollering is exactly where she belongs

La Reina: Demi Vollering is exactly where she belongs

The Dutchwoman’s victory in La Vuelta España Femenina is a product of exemplary teamwork from FDJ-Suez

Leer más
Giro d'Italia 2025 stage three preview: A tough Albanian farewell

Giro d'Italia 2025 stage three preview: A tough Albanian farewell

A stage full of climbing will keep the GC contenders on their toes, but it could be a day for an escape group to grab...

Leer más

READ RIDE REPEAT

JOIN ROULEUR TODAY

Get closer to the sport than ever before.

Enjoy a digital subscription to Rouleur for just £4 per month and get access to our award-winning magazines.

SUBSCRIBE