SD Worx supervisor Danny Stam confirmed that World Champion Lotte Kopecky won’t participate within the Tour de France Femmes this yr.
Kopecky was uncertain whether or not she might race the Tour this yr as a result of the Olympic Games in Paris end at some point earlier than the Tour de France Femmes Grand Départ in Rotterdam. Winning a medal on the Olympics is certainly one of Kopecky’s high priorities this season.
“The omnium ends on Sunday afternoon, the Tour begins on Monday morning. It is sort of inconceivable to do this correctly,” Stam instructed Sporza.
“Combining these two occasions would even be a really tough activity mentally.”
Kopecky gained the opening stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 2023 and held the maillot jaune till the penultimate stage to the Col du Tourmalet when she misplaced contact on the ultimate climb and the general lead handed to teammate Demi Vollering.
At the Tour de France route presentation, Kopecky mentioned she needed to race the Tour as a result of it has two levels that run on Belgian roads – stage 3 makes use of a part of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège course and stage 4 departs from Bastogne.
“When I see the course, I undoubtedly need to experience. The incontrovertible fact that it goes by Belgium can also be a really good factor. On the opposite hand, the Tour is yearly whereas the Olympic Games are solely as soon as each 4 years. There are additionally very good targets arising after the Tour, so it is extremely unclear in the intervening time,” mentioned Kopecky.
“The swap from monitor to highway isn’t an issue in itself, that’s not my largest concern. The Tour in itself is just very robust and after such an omnium you haven’t solely been bodily very deep, but additionally mentally.”
Kopecky put an emphasis on the Spring Classics this yr realizing the choice on whether or not to race the Tour or not would come after. She gained Strade Bianche, Nokere Koerse and Paris-Roubaix this yr in addition to the UAE Tour Women in February.
Her schedule contains the Tour of Britain (6-9 June) and Giro d’Italia (7-14 July) earlier than the Olympics. She will set her sights on the World Championships in Zurich within the latter a part of the season.