Belgian Champ storms home first on Siena’s Piazza del Campo
Siena, 5 March 2022 – Lotte Kopecky (Team Sd Worx) has won the eighth edition of Strade Bianche Women Elite Eolo, 136km from Siena to Siena (Piazza del Campo). The Belgian rider crossed the finish line in the historic square just ahead of Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar Team Women). Third place went to Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Team Sd Worx) at 10″.
Saturday’s Strade Bianche double header delivered two first time winners with Belgian champion Lotte Kopecky taking the win in the Women’s Elite race, before Slovenian super star Tadej Pogacar followed up in the men’s event.
It came down to a duel in the Women Elite event, with Kopecky and pre-race favourite Annemiek van Vleuten neck and neck up the last drag along the Via Santa Catarina before Kopecky edged van Vleuten on the line.
Speaking seconds after the finish, a victorious Lotte Kopecky said: “I cannot believe I just won! It was a great team effort from the whole Team Sd Worx. I knew I had teammates behind me that had my back. I had a good feeling in the finale, I tried to follow Annemiek Van Vleuten and I just kept pushing until the last corner, I knew I had to be first on the last corner, I was prepared for the sprint. It is the biggest victory of my career”
Full Results are available here