Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky caps phenomenal season by winning World Championship road race

Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky ​has capped a phenomenal season by winning the women’s elite road race as the UCI World Championships draw to a close in Glasgow.

Only Denmark’s Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig could follow the attack from a small group by Kopecky on the last lap of the city-centre circuit, with the Belgian subsequently dropping her rival with 6km remaining to solo her way to victory.

Uttrup Ludwig was pipped to the silver medal by Demi Vollering of the Netherlands, Kopecky’s team mate at SD Worx, and winner of last month’s Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

It’s the first women’s road world championship victory by a Belgian rider for 50 years, and one that comes towards the end of a season in which Kopecky has been one of the dominant forces on the women’s racing scene.

Last month, Kopecky finished second overall at the Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift, winning the opening stage and also clinching the points contest, having led the race from the opening stage until the penultimate day.

Her other victories this year include both the road race and time trial at the Belgian national championships in June, the overall and points classifications at the Internationale Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour, and three of the biggest women’s one-day races – the Tour of Flanders, the Nokere Korse, and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Kopecky heads home from Glasgow with three rainbow jerseys – not to mention, Tissot watches and cuddly toy Highland coos with rainbow band-coloured horns – having also won the points and elimination races at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, where she also took a bronze medal in the omnium.