Troubled week SD Worx reaches low point in Flanders: ‘Own fault’ | Cycling

Voor de start van de Ronde van Vlaanderen op zondag zijn alle ogen gericht op Lotte Kopecky. Zeker na het wegvallen van Wout van Aert snakt het Vlaamse publiek naar een zege van de Belgische wereldkampioene, die voor de start op haar paasbest verschijnt met een hagelwitte broek en wit gelakte nagels. De 28-jarige Kopecky bestijgt als topfavoriete het startpodium in een zonnig Oudenaarde en hoopt daar een paar uur later terug te keren voor de podiumceremonie.

Na 119 kilometer koers is er weinig over van deze droom. Terwijl Mathieu van der Poel in de regenboogtrui het verschil maakt op de Koppenberg, zet de wereldkampioen bij de vrouwen juist op die plek haar voeten aan de grond. Kopecky probeert rennend de voorste groep bij te houden, maar ziet de achterwielen steeds verder uit zicht verdwijnen.

Kopecky werpt in een inmiddels modderige regenboogtrui haar blik naar beneden en schudt het hoofd: dit had ze zich anders voorgesteld. “Ik zat niet ver genoeg voorin voor de Koppenberg”, legt de tweevoudig winnares van de Ronde na afloop uit. “Dat kwam deels omdat ik werd weggeduwd, maar het was ook mijn eigen schuld.”

Niet alleen Kopecky gaat rennend over de Koppenberg, ook ploeggenote Vollering moet uit de pedalen. De 27-jarige Nederlands kampioene slaagt er op de glibberige kasseien wel weer in op te stappen, maar heeft een te grote achterstand op de voorste groep. “Op de Koppenberg misten we de slag, daarna reden we continu achter de feiten aan.”

Lorena Wiebes upholds the honor of SD Worx-Protime by staying on the bike and thus establishing herself in the leading group. Behind the 25-year-old Dutchman, Vollering and Kopecky are doing everything they can to return. With an utmost effort, Vollering manages to join 24 kilometers before the finish. A few kilometers later Kopecky follows, albeit with hanging and strangling.

But as soon as Shirin van Anrooij attacks, it becomes clear that SD Worx is not going to win this match. Ultimately, Kopecky crosses the line in fifth place after a strong final kilometer. Vollering has to make do with eighth place, while Wiebes has to pass on the Oude Kwaremont and falls just outside the top ten.

Where did it go wrong? “We missed an extra pawn on the Koppenberg,” says sports director Danny Stam, who saw Marlen Reusser fall away with a broken jaw earlier in the match. “I saw Lotte running on the Koppenberg. Then you are no faster than on a bicycle, of course. This put us in a situation where you have to chase the facts. That is disastrous in such a race.”

Last Wednesday things didn’t work out for SD Worx in Dwars door Vlaanderen either, when Kopecky finished fourth. Nevertheless, Stam is not worried about the form of his riders, who have already triumphed this season in, among others, the Strade Bianche (Kopecky), the Ronde van Drenthe and Gent-Wevelgem (Wiebes).

“Sometimes the coin falls one way, sometimes the other way,” says Stam. “If you realize where Lotte and Demi were on top of the Koppenberg and then see where they ultimately end up, they rode quite well.”

The Tour of Flanders was the conclusion of a turbulent week for SD Worx. That unrest started when sports director Stam conceded on Wednesday just before the start of Dwars door Vlaanderen GCN said that Vollering will leave after this season.

During the match, team manager Erwin Janssen came through https://twitter.com/teamsdworx/status/1772997904728231987 with a statement: “We assume that Vollering will leave the team at the end of the year.” The Tour winner herself was “a little surprised” by the statement, but did not want to say anything more about it.

The news caused a lot of commotion, much to Stam’s incomprehension. “There is a turnover of riders in all teams. Sometimes I don’t fully understand the commotion. Everything has been said about it. If someone indicates that they do not want to stay with the team, then that is clear.”

Stam does not think that Vollering’s upcoming departure will have sporting consequences. “I don’t see that as a challenge. I think we have to continue in a normal way. Nothing has changed on a personal level. The focus now is on the time to come. Together we can compete in very nice races, that is Our position has not changed.”

The next race for SD Worx is the Scheldeprijs next Wednesday. Wiebes, among others, is at the start there. Paris-Roubaix follows on Saturday, where Kopecky will also make an appearance. Vollering will not be back in action until April 10 at the Brabantse Pijl.