‘As long as we win as a team’ - Lorena Wiebes and Lotte Kopecky ready to make sacrifices for each other at SD Worx
The duo will race together for the first time this year, and are convinced they can make it work
![Lotte Kopecky, Lorena WIebes and Demi Vollering sitting on some chair ahead of a photo shoot](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cyDxfE6ZR5UtNmjhjcv2PY-415-80.jpeg)
SD Worx team-mates Lorena Wiebes and Lotte Kopecky are prepared to forgo their own victory opportunities to support each other this season.
Speaking ahead of the Dutch squad's media presentation on Tuesday, the duo said they believe they can combine their racing skills, despite concerns their ambitions might clash.
“SD Worx is really a team that gives every rider a chance,” said new signing Wiebes, who joined this year from Team DSM on a three-year contract. “I had a good training camp and Lotte and I were good together.
“I think it will not be a problem next year. If she has a goal like Paris-Roubaix, I will fully support her, and the other way round. She will fully support me in my bigger goals.”
Wiebes and Kopecky met eight times in bunch sprints last year, with the Dutchwoman prevailing on every occasion. Since meeting at the team's training camp, the pair have discussed their ambitions for 2023, and have struck an accord with which races they'll target.
Kopecky's big objective this year will be the early season Classics, notably the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Amstel Gold Race. Wiebes, on the other hand, hopes to win Gent-Wevelgem and continue her indomitable sprint form in stage races.
“I am aware that Lorena, at the moment, is the fastest sprinter in the peloton,” said Kopecky. “It would be not fair to say she’s not. But I also know in sprints I can do very well. I think our programmes will not clash too much, and we will make sure that it will not happen too much.”
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
For the Belgian time trial champion, Wiebes’s arrival brings a new opportunity, a chance to take on more of a wild card role within the team.
“I will not be the rider anymore who will have to wait until the sprints,” she said. “This will give me more of a free role and more chances to attack. That’s the style of racing I like the most, so I have no problem with that.
“For me, being an aggressive rider, if it doesn’t work out, we still have Lorena to finish. As long as we win as a team, then I think the team will be happy. For sure it will give me less stress towards races and [I can] be more relaxed.”
Now, with the new season underway, there’s an expectation within SD Worx that the two riders will join forces and ignite the peloton.
"Hopefully it's going to make for some really attractive racing," said directeur sportif Anna van der Breggen.
“They are really different,” the two-time road world champion added, alluding to Wiebes’s strength as a pure sprinter and Kopecky’s punchier style. “It’s not like I always want to put them in separate races. They can both win the race, yes, but they can also help each other.
“As long as you get along well with each other and you are prepared to fight for your team-mates, it will never be a problem."
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer. He is the host of The TT Podcast, which covers both the men's and women's pelotons and has featured a number of prominent British riders.
An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides.
He's also fluent in French and Spanish and holds a master's degree in International Journalism.
-
Unbound Gravel lottery opens two months early, ensuring riders are 'more prepared than ever'
Registration for the 2025 Unbound Gravel will open on Friday, November 1, 2024, and close two weeks later, on November 15. Lottery winners will be announced on November 21, 2024.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Star triathlete Taylor Knibb to take on world's fastest cyclists in the Olympic time trial
Colorado-based 26-year-old Taylor Knibb will be representing Team USA in both the individual time trial and triathlon at the Paris Olympics.
By Kristin Jenny Published
-
'If I want to return as a cyclist, it's now or never' - Anna van der Breggen announces surprise return to professional cycling in 2025
34-year-old retired at the end of the 2021 season, and has been working as a DS at SD Worx-Protime
By Adam Becket Published
-
Lorena Wiebes makes it five wins in three weeks in the UK with stage three victory at Tour of Britain Women
SD Worx-Protime also make it three wins in three days, as Lotte Kopecky maintains overall lead
By Adam Becket Published
-
Photo finish declares Lotte Kopecky the winner of stage one of Tour of Britain Women in Llandudno
British national champion Pfeiffer Georgi rounded out the top three in North Wales with Lizzie Deignan coming in fourth
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Lorena Wiebes ties up RideLondon Classique with hat-trick of stage wins
SD Worx-Protime rider completes clean sweep to win three-day WorldTour race
By Tom Davidson Published
-
SD Worx-Protime have never lost at Itzulia Women, but does that matter for the season?
Demi Vollering has won eight times out of 12 opportunities in the Basque Country
By Adam Becket Published
-
Lotte Kopecky to miss Tour de France Femmes with Olympics the main goal
World Champion set to ride Tour of Britain Women and Giro d'Italia Donne before Paris games
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
It’s time for riders to stop celebrating before they reach the finish line
In the light of yet another rider celebrating too early at the weekend, is it time to simply cross the line first?
By Adam Becket Published
-
'People who know me know I'm sometimes a bit loco' - Lotte Kopecky's rise to be the best cyclist in the world
She may be ruthless on the bike, but does the world champion have a playful side too? Here's her story, from her football beginnings to skydiving over Dubai
By Tom Davidson Published