Lotte Kopecky will not defend her rainbow jersey at the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda this month, it has been revealed, as Belgium announced their five-woman squad.
The Belgian, road race champion in 2023 and 2024, would have been one of the favourites in Kigali, but there will be no hat-trick for the 29-year-old. In her place, there will likely be a new world champion, although not if Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has anything to do with it.
"She had hoped for a turnaround in the final weeks, but now she's decided to skip the World Championships because she's not convinced she's 100% ready. It's largely a mental issue," national coach Ludwig Willems told WielerFlits.
"She made it known this week ... As a federation, we're not going to put pressure on Lotte to participate. She's already achieved so much, and we have far too much respect for her."
Kopecky has not her usual high level of success in 2025, winning twice, although one of those victories came at the Tour of Flanders in April. Comparatively, she won 15 races in 2023, and 16 in 2024, including the World Championships road race in both seasons.
A persistent knee issue over the winter derailed the world champion's early-year training, meaning she didn't start her season until San Remo Donne. Then, after aiming for success at the Giro d'Italia Women, she abandoned with lower back pain.
This then derailed her bid for GC success at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, where she finished 45th overall.
"We're grateful for what Lotte has achieved. But we have to give her time to recharge, rest, and take stock. Then we'll see a better version of Lotte in the foreseeable future," Willems said.
Kopecky is not the only rider to skip the World Championships, with Mathieu van der Poel, Matteo Jorgenson, Kristen Faulkner and Wout van Aert all missing.
Kopecky will return to competition at the Tour de l'Ardèche next week, and possibly will take part at the European Championships in early October. She will then focus on track racing, with the Track World Championships taking place in Santiago, Chile, at the end of the month.
The Belgian elite women's team set to compete at the road Worlds is: Marthe Goossens, Julie Van de Velde, Margot Vanpachtenbeke, Marieke Meerts, and Justine Ghekiere.
