Kopecky explains why the climbers' World Championship isn't too tough for her: 'But Vollering is the clear favourite'

Kopecky became world champion for the first time in 2023, when she started as the top favorite in Glasgow. On a course tailor-made for her, she claimed her world title, but a year later, it was a different story. The World Championships in Switzerland were expected to favor climbers, but the Belgian held her ground admirably and capitalized on Demi Vollering’s eagerness to prove herself. In the sprint, she was by far the strongest.

Since then, things have been tougher for Kopecky, and this year hasn’t been going smoothly either. Sure, she won Milan-San Remo. But aside from a victory in the Vuelta Femenina and Nokere Koerse, she hasn’t gone much further. On climbs, she was more often than not outpaced by the classics specialists and climbers. In Montreal, the course is once again challenging, leading to doubts about Kopecky’s chances.

She herself knows that it’s going to be a very tough day in Canada. “It’s an incredibly demanding course, with virtually no time to recover,” she says in an interview with Dernière Heure. “The road races we’ve seen so far have often been like a washing machine: it’s going to be a grueling battle that we’ll have to endure.”

With climbers like Vollering, as well as Kasia Niewiadoma, Kim le Court, Elisa Longo Borghini, and Paula Blasi at the start, the pressure on Kopecky will be immense. It remains to be seen whether she can hold off the breakaways. She finished sixth in the World Championships time trial a week earlier, which gives her confidence. Moreover, she has already exceeded all expectations at a World Championships once before.

"The course is different from the one in Switzerland where I raised my arms in the air after the victory, but even there, many people thought it would be too difficult for me, and I’m glad I proved them wrong," she explains. "When I'm in good shape, I'm convinced that anything is possible this coming Saturday! I hope I can be at my best and fresh enough to compete against Vollering, who is the clear favorite."