For the seventh year in a row, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) won the elite women's individual time trial at the Belgian Road National Championships, setting a time of 24:37 on the 20.1 kilometre course in Brasschaat.
Kopecky stormed to the title by nearly a minute over second-placed Marthe Goossens (AG Insurance-Soudal). Lotte Claes (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) was a distant third at 1:48.
“I had a good feeling, as far as that is possible in a time trial,” Kopecky said in the post-race interview. “I was immediately on a good pace and was able to continue it well to the finish.
Starting last as defending champion, Kopecky came close to overtaking Goossens. "I was getting closer and closer to Marthe who had started in front of me, although she finished very strongly. It was difficult to pass her," Kopecky said to Sporza.
The European time trial champion and World Champion on the road, Kopecky will be the outright favourite for her fifth Belgian title in Sunday's road race.
“It feels good when you can almost catch up with number two. So I can confidently go into Sunday's road race. That will be a very difficult race to win. I will have to make the right choices and dare to lose at times. I expect more opposition on Sunday.”
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