# Lotte Kopecky

Lotte Kopecky (Dutch pronunciation:; born 10 November 1995) is a Belgian road and track racing cyclist, who rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Team SD Worx–Protime, and the 2023 and 2024 UCI Elite Women's World Road Race Champion. She is a multiple world champion on the track, having won six gold medals across four UCI Track Cycling World Championships; she won the madison in 2017 and 2022, the points race in 2021 and 2023, and the elimination race in 2022 and 2023.

## Early life

Kopecky started cycling at the age of nine. Like her brother, she focused on cyclo-cross. She then joined the Topsport School which combines sports practice with studies. But since cyclo-cross is not an Olympic discipline, a necessary condition to be part of the curriculum, she switched to road and track cycling.

## Career
### Youth years

Aged 16, Kopecky became Belgian junior time trial champion in 2012, and second in the road race. In Valkenburg, Netherlands, she finished 11th in the woman junior's time trial during the 2012 UCI Road World Championships. A year later, she finished seventh and ninth in the time trial and road race at the European Championships in Olomouc, Czech Republic and she won silver at the Belgian Junior Women's Time Trial Championship.
In track cycling, Kopecky achieved good results from her youth. She won several Belgian titles as a novice and junior. In 2012, she rode her first international championship. At the 2013 UEC European Junior Championships, Kopecky won the points race and the individual pursuit, and became third in the team pursuit.

### 2014-2018

In both 2014 and 2015, she won the golden medal in the national track championships individual pursuit and the silver medal at the national championships for the elite road race.
Kopecky signed for Lotto–Soudal Ladies in November 2015. In May 2016, she won her first professional road race, the Trofee Maarten Wynants. After competing in the time trial and road race at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, she won the youth classification of the Lotto Belgium Tour in September.
That year, she also won the national Under-23 road race and time trial championships, which she also managed to do in 2017. Kopecky also grabbed silver in the 2017 national elite road race.
Lotte Kopecky and Jolien D'Hoore managed to win the golden medal in the Madison discipline at the 2017 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, after they won the European title in 2016.
Kopecky dominated the 2017 national track championships, winning the Omnium, Scratch and Points race.
In 2018, in addition to some places of honor, she won the points classification in the Belgium Tour.

### 2019–2022

In February 2019, Kopecky managed to win the inaugural Vuelta a la Comunitat Valenciana Feminas. She became the national elite time trial champion later that year. In 2020, she managed to win both the national elite time trial and road race championship. She finished second in Gent–Wevelgem, after Jolien D'Hoore, and third in the Tour of Flanders. Lotte Kopecky participated in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, finishing 4th in the individual road race.
Kopecky signed with the prestigious SD Worx team in June 2021, believing that she would be surrounded by stronger cyclists. After winning the final stage, she won the general classification of the Belgium Tour, as well as the points classification. She also won the final stage of the Challenge by La Vuelta, and the points classification. And like the year before, Kopecky managed to win both the national time trial and road race championship.
During the 2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, she won the golden medal in the Points race, and the silver medal in the Elimination and Omnium disciplines.
In 2022, she won the classics Strade Bianche and Tour of Flanders, and ended as second in Paris–Roubaix Femmes.
Kopecky won the points classification of the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas and finished as first in one stage. At the world championships road race in Wollongong, Australia, she seemed to be on her way to her first world title, but due to an unexpected attack by Annemiek Van Vleuten she had to settle for a silver medal.
2022 proved to be a successful year in track cycling, with a world title in the Elimination and Madison (with Shari Bossuyt) and a European title in the Elimination and Points race.
In November 2022, after being a couple for more than three years, Kopecky ended her relationship with Kieran De Fauw. As he was also her coach, she decided to continue without a coach and to coach herself.

### 2023–present

Kopecky won the classic 2023 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Nokere Koerse, and after an early escape she won the Tour of Flanders for the second time in a row.
She ranked second in the 2023 Tour de France Femmes and won the first stage and the points classification. On 13 August 2023 Kopecky won the Road Race at the World Championships in Balloch, Great Britain. As the big favorite for the final victory, she was able to arrive solo after a nervous race.
Kopecky became World and European champion Elimination and also won the Points race during the 2023 World Track Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. On national level, in the Vlaams Wielercentrum Eddy Merckx, she became Belgian champion in the Individual pursuit, Points race, Omnium, Elimination and Madison (with Shari Bossuyt). After receiving several national and international cycling awards in late 2023, she was also voted Belgian of the Year.
In February 2024, Kopecky extended her contract with SD Worx-Protime until 2028. By then, she already had won the general and sprints classification of the UAE Tour Women. In March, Kopecky won the classic Strade Bianche for a second time, and succeeded herself in Nokere Koerse. She also managed to win Paris–Roubaix Femmes, after a powerful sprint.
At the Tour of Britain in June 2024, Kopecky won two stages and finished first in the general and points classification. The same month, she won the Belgian road race and time trial championship once more. Kopecky was a big favorite to win the gold medal in the Olympic road race in Paris, but had to settle for a bronze medal. Despite the French doping agency acknowledging that the use of letrozole metabolite was not intentional, her partner Shari Bossuyt was suspended for 2 years. This forced Kopecky to adjust her ambitions for the Madison event at the Olympics and championships to follow.
After winning the general and mountains classifications in the Tour de Romandie, Kopecky won the Time trial at the UEC European Championships. She extended her road race world championship title at the UCI World Championships in Zurich, Switzerland. In the final lap she experienced several difficult moments uphill, but she could handle her race tactically and win the sprint finish. At the 2024 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, Kopecky ended as second in both the Elimination and Points race, finishing her season with nine medals at a major championship.

## Personal life

Kopecky's great-grandfather was Czech. Off the bike, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and is known for her down-to-earth personality. Her brother struggled with depression and committed suicide in 2023. Kopecky and her family went through a difficult period. She later admitted that she would never have started cycling without him.
"To be honest, I didn't even like cycling. But Seppe did it, I looked up to him, and so I just joined. It was only later that I realized how crazy that choice actually was, because there were many sports that I was good at and I could have chosen another one for the same reason." Kopecky mentioned in a 2023 interview.

## Career achievements
### Major results
#### Road

Source:

##### 2010

    1st Time trial, National Novice Championships
    1st Time trial, Antwerp Provincial Novice Championships

##### 2011

    1st Time trial, National Novice Championships
    1st Time trial, Antwerp Provincial Novice Championships

##### 2012

    National Junior Championships
       1st Time trial
       2nd Road race
    UEC European Junior Championships
       3rd Time trial
       5th Road race

##### 2013

    2nd Time trial, National Junior Championships
    2nd Time trial, Antwerp Provincial Junior Championships
    3rd Road race, Flanders Regional Junior Championships
    UEC European Junior Championships
       7th Time trial
       9th Road race
    8th Overall Junior Energiewacht Tour
       1st Sprints classification

##### 2014

    National Championships
       1st Under-23 road race
       1st Under-23 time trial
       2nd Road race
    1st 's Gravenwezel
    3rd Kieldrecht–Prosperpolder
    10th Diamond Tour

##### 2015

    National Championships
       1st Under-23 road race
       2nd Road race
    Antwerp Provincial Championships
       1st Time trial
       1st Road race
    1st Herselt Koerse – Zuidkempense Ladies Classic
    2nd Trofee Maarten Wynants
    3rd Grote Prijs De Wielkeszuigers
    5th Grand Prix de Dottignies
    6th Dwars door Vlaanderen

##### 2016

    National Under-23 Championships
       1st Road race
       1st Time trial
    1st Trofee Maarten Wynants
    National Championships
       2nd Road race
       2nd Time trial
    2nd Gooik–Geraardsbergen–Gooik
    4th Overall Belgium Tour
       1st Young rider classification
    6th Diamond Tour
    8th Ljubljana–Domžale–Ljubljana TT
    9th La Course by Le Tour de France
    10th Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli

##### 2017

    National Under-23 Championships
       1st Road race
       1st Time trial
    2nd Road race, National Championships
    2nd Acht van Westerveld
    5th Omloop van het Hageland
    5th Tour of Flanders
    5th Dwars door de Westhoek
    6th Dwars door Vlaanderen
    8th Overall Belgium Tour
    9th Trofee Maarten Wynants

##### 2018

    2nd Time trial, National Championships
    3rd Overall Belgium Tour
       1st Points classification
       1st Belgian rider classification
       1st Stage 1
    4th Veenendaal–Veenendaal Classic
    5th Diamond Tour
    7th Dwars door de Westhoek

##### 2019

    1st Time trial, National Championships
    1st Vuelta a la Comunitat Valenciana
    1st MerXem Classic
    2nd Overall Belgium Tour
    3rd Overall Tour of Chongming Island
    3rd Nokere Koerse
    3rd Three Days of Bruges–De Panne
    3rd Dwars door de Westhoek
    3rd Diamond Tour
    4th RideLondon Classique
    5th Ronde van Drenthe
    6th Gent–Wevelgem
    9th Le Samyn

##### 2020

    National Championships
       1st Road race
       1st Time trial
    1st Stage 7 Giro Rosa
    2nd Gent–Wevelgem
    3rd Le Samyn
    3rd Tour of Flanders
    3rd Three Days of Bruges–De Panne
    4th Brabantse Pijl
    7th Road race, UEC European Championships

##### 2021

    National Championships
       1st Road race
       1st Time trial
    1st Overall Belgium Tour
       1st Points classification
       1st Stage 3
    1st Le Samyn
    Challenge by La Vuelta
       1st Points classification
       1st Stage 4
    2nd Overall Thüringen Ladies Tour
       1st Sprints classification
       1st Stage 4
    2nd Gent–Wevelgem
    4th Road race, Summer Olympics
    4th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
    4th Nokere Koerse
    4th Classic Brugge–De Panne
    4th Dwars door het Hageland
    7th La Classique Morbihan

##### 2022

    1st Time trial, National Championships
    1st Tour of Flanders
    1st Strade Bianche
    Vuelta a Burgos
       1st Points classification
       1st Stage 1
    UCI World Championships
       2nd Road race
       9th Time trial
    2nd Paris–Roubaix
    2nd Nokere Koerse
    3rd Ronde van Drenthe
    4th Overall RideLondon Classique
    4th Gent–Wevelgem
    9th Classic Brugge–De Panne

##### 2023

    1st Road race, UCI World Championships
    National Championships
       1st Road race
       1st Time trial
    1st Overall Thüringen Ladies Tour
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 1 (TTT) & 6
    1st Overall Simac Ladies Tour
       1st Stage 2 & 4
    1st Tour of Flanders
    1st Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
    1st Nokere Koerse
    1st Arnhem–Veenendaal Classic
    1st Dwars door het Hageland
    2nd Overall Tour de France
       1st Points classification
       1st Stage 1
       Held after Stages 1–6
       Held after Stage 1
    2nd Strade Bianche
    2nd Amstel Gold Race
    3rd Road race, UEC European Championships
    7th Paris–Roubaix

##### 2024

    UCI Road World Championships
       1st Road race
       5th Time trial
    1st Time trial, UEC European Championships
    1st Overall UCI World Tour
    National Championships
       1st Road race
       1st Time trial
    1st Overall Tour of Britain
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 1 & 2
    1st Overall UAE Tour
       1st Stage 3
    1st Overall Simac Ladies Tour
       1st Stage 6
    1st Overall Tour de Romandie
    1st Paris–Roubaix
    1st Strade Bianche
    1st Nokere Koerse
    2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Points classification
       1st Stage 5
    2nd Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
    2nd Trofeo Alfredo Binda
    Olympic Games
       3rd Road race
       6th Time trial
    4th Dwars door Vlaanderen
    5th Tour of Flanders

##### General classification results timeline

Major Tour results timeline :
| Stage race | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| La Vuelta Femenina | — | — | 18 | 21 | — | — | |
| Giro d'Italia | 86 | DNF | — | 42 | — | 2 | |
| Tour de France | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | 38 | 2 | — | |
| Stage race results timeline ||||||||||||||||
| Stage race | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Thüringen Ladies Tour | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | |
| Lotto Belgium Tour | 2 | — | 1 | — | NH | — | |
| Holland Ladies Tour | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | |
| UAE Tour | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | Race did not exist | — | 1 | |
| Tour of Britain | — | NH | — | — | NH | 1 | |
| Tour de Romandie | NH | NH | NH | — | — | 1 | |
* ↑ Known as the Challenge by La Vuelta from 2020 to 2022

##### Classics results timeline

| Monument | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Milan-San Remo | Not Held | Not Held | Not Held | Not Held | Not Held | Not Held | Not Held | Not Held | Not Held | Not Held | |
| Tour of Flanders | — | 33 | 5 | — | 32 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| Paris–Roubaix | Did not exist | Did not exist | Did not exist | Did not exist | Did not exist | NH | 15 | 2 | 7 | 1 | |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | Did not exist | Did not exist | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | |
| Classic | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Omloop Het Nieuwsblad | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | 4 | 27 | 1 | 2 | — |
| Strade Bianche | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — |
| Ronde van Drenthe | — | 23 | 25 | — | 5 | NH | — | 3 | — | — | |
| Nokere Koerse | Did not exist | Did not exist | Did not exist | Did not exist | 3 | NH | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Trofeo Alfredo Binda | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | |
| Classic Brugge–De Panne | Did not exist | Did not exist | Did not exist | — | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | — | — | |
| Gent–Wevelgem | 21 | 35 | 16 | — | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 70 | 19 | |
| Dwars door Vlaanderen | 6 | 8 | 6 | — | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Amstel Gold Race | — | — | — | — | — | NH | — | — | 2 | 77 | |
| La Flèche Wallonne | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | |
| GP de Plouay | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | — | — | — | — | |

##### Major championship results timeline

| Event | Event | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Olympic Games | Time trial | Not held | Not held | 21 | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | — | NH | NH | 6 |
| Olympic Games | Road race | Not held | Not held | 45 | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | 4 | NH | NH | 3 |
| World Championships | Time trial | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | 5 |
| World Championships | Road race | — | — | 75 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| World Championships | Team relay | Did not exist | Did not exist | Did not exist | Did not exist | Did not exist | — | NH | 7 | — | — | — |
| European Championships | Time trial | Did not exist | Did not exist | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 |
| European Championships | Road race | Did not exist | Did not exist | — | — | — | 11 | 7 | 14 | — | 3 | — |
| European Championships | Team relay | Did not exist | Did not exist | Did not exist | Did not exist | Did not exist | 4 | — | — | NH | — | — |
| National Championships | Time trial | — | 6 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| National Championships | Road race | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 58 | 1 | 1 | 51 | 1 | 1 |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |
| NH | Not held |

#### Track
##### 2010

    National Novice Championships
       1st Individual pursuit
       2nd Team pursuit
       3rd Omnium
       3rd Scratch

##### 2011

    National Novice Championships
       2nd Team sprint
       3rd Team pursuit
       3rd Keirin
       3rd Individual pursuit

##### 2012

    National Junior Championships
       2nd Individual pursuit
       2nd Team pursuit
       3rd Points race
       3rd Keirin

##### 2013

    UEC European Junior Championships
       1st Points race
       1st Individual pursuit
       3rd Team pursuit
    National Junior Championships
       2nd Omnium
       2nd Team pursuit
       3rd Points race

##### 2014

    National Championships
       1st Individual pursuit
       3rd 500m time trial
       3rd Keirin
       3rd Points race
    3 Jours d'Aigle
       1st Individual pursuit
       1st Scratch
       2nd Points race
    Belgian Xmas Meetings
       1st Individual pursuit
       2nd Points race
       2nd Scratch
    3rd Individual pursuit, UEC European Under-23 Championships
    3rd Scratch, Open des Nations sur Piste de Roubaix
    3rd Individual pursuit, International Belgian Open

##### 2015

    National Championships
       1st Individual pursuit
       2nd Scratch
       2nd Omnium
       2nd Points race
    3 Jours d'Aigle
       1st Individual pursuit
       2nd Scratch
    2nd Scratch, UCI World Cup, Cali

##### 2016

    UEC European Championships
       1st Madison (with Jolien D'Hoore)
       3rd Omnium
    UEC European Under-23 Championships
       1st Points race
       1st Omnium
    National Championships
       1st Omnium
       2nd Scratch
       2nd Individual pursuit
       2nd Points race
    1st Omnium, Six Days of Ghent
    Grand Prix of Poland
       1st Points race
       3rd Team pursuit
    2nd Omnium, UCI World Cup, Glasgow
    Revolution Series, Glasgow
       2nd Scratch
       3rd Points race

##### 2017

    1st Madison, UCI World Championships (with Jolien D'Hoore)
    2016–17 UCI World Cup
       1st Overall, Omnium
       1st Omnium, Cali
    2017–18 UCI World Cup
       1st Points race, Pruszków
       1st Madison, Pruszków
       2nd Madison, Manchester
    National Championships
       1st Omnium
       1st Points race
       1st Scratch
    Belgian International Track Meeting
       1st Madison
       3rd Omnium
    Zesdaagse Vlaanderen-Gent
       2nd Madison
       3rd Omnium

##### 2018

    International Belgian Track Meeting
       1st Madison
       1st Omnium
    UCI World Cup
       3rd Madison, Berlin
       3rd Madison, London

##### 2019

    UCI World Cup
       1st Madison, Cambridge
       2nd Madison, Hong Kong

##### 2021

    UCI World Championships
       1st Points race
       2nd Elimination
       2nd Omnium

##### 2022

    UCI World Championships
       1st Madison (with Shari Bossuyt)
       1st Elimination
    UEC European Championships
       1st Elimination
       1st Points race

##### 2023

    UCI World Championships
       1st Elimination
       1st Points race
       3rd Omnium
    UEC European Championships
       1st Elimination
       3rd Omnium
    National Championships
       1st Individual pursuit
       1st Points race
       1st Omnium
       1st Elimination
       1st Madison (with Shari Bossuyt)

##### 2024

    UEC European Championships
       1st Elimination
       1st Points race
       2nd Madison
    UCI World Championships
       2nd Elimination
       2nd Points race

#### Cyclo-cross
##### 2020–2021

    2nd National Championships

#### Gravel
##### 2024

    2nd UCI World Championships

### Honours and awards

* Belgian Promising Talent of the Year: 2017
* Flandrienne of the Year: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
* Crystal Bicycle: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
* Trophy Patrick Sercu: 2022
* Eddy Merckx Trophy: 2023, 2024
* Belgian Sportswoman of the Year: 2023
* Flemish Sportsjewel: 2023
* HLN/VTM Belgian of the Year: 2023
* Belgian National Sports Merit Award: 2024
* Vélo d'Or: 2024, runner-up: 2022, 2023