Lotte Kopecky’s first race as 2024 world champion is not going to be within the rainbow jersey however within the hunt for one more rainbow jersey on the UCI Gravel World Championships in Belgium on Saturday.
New under-23 street world champion Puck Pieterse will even chase one other jersey after additionally dominating mountain bike racing and cyclocross this 12 months.
The entry record additionally contains Fem van Empel, Lorena Wiebes, former cyclocross World Champions Sanne Cant and Lucinda Brand plus Marianne Vos, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, Tiffany Cromwell and 2023 Paris-Roubaix winner Alison Jackson.
Kopecky went for an early-morning run on Sunday earlier than returning house to Belgium. She is a gravel novice however certainly a contender for one more rainbow jersey on the flat 133km Flemish Brabant forest course after successful Paris-Roubaix Femmes and Strade Bianche this 12 months.
“I’ve by no means ridden a gravel race in my total life but it surely’ll be enjoyable,” Kopecky admitted in Zurich.
“I’m excited to do a unique sort of race. I heard there’s numerous asphalt in addition to the gravel and I’ll do a recon when I’m again in Belgium.
“It’ be good to win one other rainbow jersey. It’s a objective however with out ever racing on gravel, it is onerous to say what I can do. I simply need to benefit from the race. Of course, I’ll attempt to be up there to win the race.”
Kopecky can also be anticipated to focus on extra world titles on the monitor on the finish of October in Denmark.
Pieterse will goal her fourth biking self-discipline of the season.
“The plan is to be at the beginning of the Gravel World Championships in Belgium subsequent weekend, though I heard that the majority the elite ladies from the Netherlands are additionally racing. It must be a enjoyable race to observe,” Pieterse mentioned, with a transparent sense of humour after the Netherlands tactical blunder in Saturday’s ladies’s street race.
“I’ll proceed to surf on a constructive vibe for some time similar to the previous few weeks. It has been very busy however thus far all the things has at all times labored properly.”
