Kopecky is back on the boards, and back on top
Multi-hyphenate superstar Lotte Kopecky returned to competition this past week at the Belgian Track national champs in Gent, where she made a swift return to the top step of the podium in the Omnium, two months after crashing out of the Tour Cycliste Féminin de l'Ardèche – which ruled her out of the Track World Championships in Santiago, Chile, a major objective for the prolific medal winner.
"I wanted to give my body time to recover," Kopecky told Sporza in Gent. "I chose not to push myself any further for the Track Cycling World Championships, because that was pretty much impossible. I think it was the best decision to give myself some rest and immediately start thinking about next season."
Kopecky's appearance at the national champs marks a return to happy hunting ground for the 16-time gold medalist, whose 2025 omnium title is her fifth in the multi-stage event.
"It went quite smoothly, but that doesn't change the fact that I started with question marks," said Kopecky. "I hadn't raced since September, certainly not on the track ... The recovery is going well, but the injury still raises questions, definitely. A protrusion of a vertebra was broken, and the surrounding muscles also took a significant hit.
"It's going well for now, but I hope it won't affect me later when the workload increases and I race more," Kopecky added, looking ahead to the 2026 road season. "It's still a long way off, but I'm already looking forward to it. I hope to be back in the spring. I'm really looking forward to what's to come, that's the most important thing."
