Kopecky reveals unusual reason behind first Paris-Roubaix Femmes crown

Lotte Kopecky (SD-Worx – Protime) revealed an unusual reason behind her first Paris-Roubaix Femmes triumph – laughter.

Speaking afterwards, she said: “This was the goal of the season, then to also do it is really nice.

“How much confidence the team gave me, actually already the whole season but especially the last week.

“My team-mates tried to make me laugh the last two days as much as possible. I could just really feel how much they believed in me being able to win this race.

“They did an amazing job, and then having Lorena Wiebes in the second group at the end was maybe the key.”

As the riders entered the famed Roubaix Velodrome for the culmination of the 148.5km race, Kopecky at one stage looked like she might have lost her chance, sitting at the back on the inside of the track and seemingly without a route to the front.

“It’s always nervous,” she reflected.

“You are here with two very fast sprinters like [Marianne] Vos and Balsamo.

“One moment I thought I am boxed in, but I had to start the sprint pretty early and I just could keep sprinting.”

Speaking on Eurosport’s The Breakaway, London 2012 gold medallist Dani Rowe analysed how Kopecky managed the closing stages of the race to give herself a greater chance of victory.

Rowe said: “She’s a great tactician isn’t she?

“We saw that really change when she had [team-mate] Lorena Wiebes there in the group, she was attacking, attacking, attacking – really trying to make the race as hard as she could.

“But then when Lorena Wiebes was dropped she was really, really patient, sat back and let the others do the work, let Lidl-Trek use up their firepower, their energy after being so dominant in the last few races.

“And then she said she was bunched in, but I think that worked perfectly in her favour because the sprint is so different.

“After 148km and all that pave, it’s almost like slow motion.”