An incredibly strong Lotte Kopecky has added the 4th Danilith Nokere Koerse to her list of achievements. The SD Worx rider blasted away from everyone in the finale, no one could match the power display of our fellow countrywoman. Undoubtedly an emotional victory for Kopecky.
Early attack
Kopecky launched her first attack on the Tiegemberg. She was joined by Henderson (Jumbo – Visma) and Van Anrooij (Trek – Segafredo), but they were quickly caught. With just under 50 km to go, she attacked again. Henderson joined her once more but struggled to keep up with Kopecky’s blistering pace on Nokereberg.
Trek – Segafredo led the chase in support of Elisa Balsamo. They closed the gap to Kopecky and Henderson.
SD Worx then took complete control of the race and made it extremely hard. Even European champion Lorena Wiebes contributed to the effort.
As a result, about 30 riders entered the final lap.
Kopecky dominant
French rider Biannic (Movistar) tried to surprise with an attack. She gained a maximum advantage of 20 seconds. Then came Kopecky’s moment. The Belgian champion launched her third impressive acceleration on the Lange Ast. Only Gasparrini could follow her scorching pace, and together they bridged the gap to Biannic.
Kopeckywas ultimately far too strong. She accelerated again on the Huisepontweg and left her breakaway companions behind with 6 km to go. She ultimately finished solo
and secured a magnificent victory on the cobbles of Nokereberg.
Her teammate Wiebes easily won the sprint for second place, with Bastianelli taking third. The entire top 10 looks impressive. What a race!
