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Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) won the women’s world road title after attacking late out an elite group in an exciting finale Sunday.
The Belgian rider attacked on the final climb to carve out the winning margin to put an exclamation point on what’s been amazing season for the SD Worx star.
“It’s already been an amazing year, but also in some ways a very hard year. I don’t know what keeps me pushing,” Kopecky said. “I don’t know what I was thinking, but it really means a lot to me. It is kind of a dream that comes true. I really hope to enjoy riding those rainbows next year.”
In the final road race to close out “Super Worlds,” a super group of six riders placed themselves into medal contention going into the bell lap.
Kopecky attacked on a climb with 6km to go to drop Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Denmark) to distance the group. Behind, Demi Vollering (Netherlands), Lizzie Deignan (Great Britian), Marlen Reusser (Switzerland), and Christina Schweinberg (Austria) tried to limit the losses.
Kopecky powered alone over the final assault up Montrose Street, with Uttrup Ludwig trying to hold onto silver, with pro teammates Reusser and Vollering chasing desperately behind. The others couldn’t match the pace.
Vollering caught Uttrup Ludwig to grab silver, with Reusser closing the line fourth.
Kopecky is the first Belgian winner of women’s road race since Nicole van de Broeck 50 years ago in 1973.
Six laps on the Glasgow urban circuit closed out the 154.1km race of attrition that saw the best of the bunch fight to the front.
Defending world champion Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) missed the late moves, and did not figure in the fight for the medals in her final worlds.
Kopecky won two gold medals in track cycling this week, and the world title on the road caps a superb season that included second overall at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift as well as the Tour of Flanders.
How it unfolded: Fast out of the gate
Kopecky celebrates gold in the elite women’s road race. (Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
The women’s road race championships was 154.1km in length and took on the same tough course as the other road races, scaling the Crow Road climb early on and then concluding with six laps of the hilly, technical 14.3km circuit in Glasgow.
The new time trial world champion Chloe Dygert (USA) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Poland) were two of the non-starters, the Canyon-SRAM teammates suffering from respiratory infections.
Various attacks fired off early on and, after approximately 20km of racing, Kata Blanka Vas (Hungary) clipped away and was joined by Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa), Lizzie Deignan (Great Britain), Mischa Bredewold (Netherlands), Elise Chabbey (Switzerland), Juliette Labous (France) and Sanne Cant (Belgium).
There was plenty of firepower in the move and they quickly gained time, holding a gap of nearly a minute going onto the Crow Road climb. Blanka Vas was dropped but the others stayed together. They were eventually caught with 111km remaining, with the peloton considerably reduced in size by the terrain and the pace.
Lotte Kopecky is the new world champion! 💪
The Belgian has capped a phenomenal year by claiming gold and the rainbow jersey on the road in Scotland, going one better than 2022 🤩
_______
🏴 #GlasgowScotland2023 pic.twitter.com/lIWJhUIOm6
— Velon CC (@VelonCC) August 13, 2023
New Zealand’s Kim Cadzow was clear heading onto the finishing circuit and while she was brought back, Chabbey hit the front again with 93km left and drew a dangerous move clear.
Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift stars Demi Vollering (Netherlands) and Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) were amongst the riders there, with Marlen Reusser (Switzerland) dragging a group up to them before pushing on alone and being joined by Anna Henderson (Great Britain).
That it turn saw a seven-woman group form, with Chabbey, Cecilie Ludwig Uttrup (Denmark), Soraya Paladin (Italy), Riejanne Markus (Netherlands) and Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (Poland) holding a 10 second lead crossing the line for the start of the six finishing laps. Other key riders bridged across and fired off moves, with Deignan, Kopecky and Persico amongst the aggressors.
It was Chabbey who snapped the elastic, though, clipping away with 74km remaining and building a 15 second lead.
Strong solo ride as stop-go racing prevails behind
No doubt about that one. (Photo: DAVID PINTENS/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
Defending champion Van Vleuten was riding her last worlds and was hoping to go out with a big performance. That plan was put under pressure when she had a front puncture with approximately 67kms to go, the Dutchwoman growing frustrated with what she felt was a slow wheel change rather than a new bike.
She began what would be a long chase, while first Uttrup Ludwig and then Markus tried to bridge to Chabbey. The Swiss rider was riding very strongly, though, and had 23 seconds with four laps remaining.
Van Vleuten was 50 seconds back at that point, but would rejoin soon afterwards. Elena Cecchini (Italy) would unsuccessfully try to bridge to Chabbey, but the Swiss rider still had 1:32 over the chasers with three laps to go.
Van Vleuten played her card with 33km remaining, gaining a decent gap over the chase group of Kopecky, Deignan, Uttrup Ludwig, Vollering, Reusser and Christina Schweinberger (Austria). Kopecky attacked through the feed zone in a bid to bridge up to her and while she was caught by the group just before the Montrose Street climb, Van Vleuten’s time out front came to an end soon afterwards.
That left Chabbey again the only rider out front, holding a reduced gap of 16 seconds with two laps remaining. Multiple attacks again fired off, with a big move by Vollering on the Montrose street climb with 15.7km remaining. She flew clear with Kopecky and was joined by Uttrup Ludwig but, once again, the group reformed once more due to the shortness of the hills.
The big names fight for gold
Kopecky and Vollering clash in the elite road race. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
Lone leader Chabbey was finally caught just before the start of the last lap, ending her chance of becoming world champion. Also losing her chance was Van Vleuten, who had punctured once again and faced a long ride to the finish after a bike change.
Deignan was clearly back to something approaching her best form and attacked with Schweinberger with just over 12km left. Kopecky and Reusser bridged across approximately two kilometers later, with Vollering leading the chase with Uttrup Ludwig and Chabbey behind.
The Tour de France Femmes champion jumped across to the four leaders with 8km left, then appeared to cramp on the climb, enabling the others to rejoin.
Uttrup Ludwig made a crucial move 7.2km left, zipping clear on a steep uphill. Kopecky leaped across to her and went past, dragging them well clear of the rest. Uttrup Ludwig tried to break the Belgian on the Scott street climb, but Kopecky was the stronger of the two and gapped her with 5.6km left.
She quickly opened a gap and powered on towards the line, while Uttrup Ludwig tried to stay clear for silver but was passed by Vollering in the finishing sprint, that duo finishing 7 seconds behind the new world champion.