Kopecky makes no mention of motorbikes and offers different explanation for losing 72-kilometre battle

Lotte Kopecky appeared to be producing the comeback of the year in the Tour de France Femmes, but just as the Belgian from SD Worx-Protime began to reel in the lone leader, her body gave up on her. That was Kopecky’s explanation after an extraordinary 72-kilometre, head-to-head battle.

The third stage of the Tour was marked by wave after wave of attacks. When Sigrid Haugset of Uno-X Mobility eventually went clear on her own following a regrouping at the front, Kopecky recognised the danger. “I had really good legs today, and when she had a minute and the peloton slowed down, I knew she was going to get a free ride.”

“My legs were too good to let that happen,” said the Belgian, who ultimately set off in pursuit alone and completed what she described as “one of my longest solo efforts.” Kopecky spent a long time around 1 minute and 20 seconds behind, finding herself in something of a chasse patate between the leader and the peloton. “But then I started getting closer and closer. I really pushed hard on the climbs and could see her riding ahead of me, but my legs started cramping.”

“I wasn’t empty, but whenever I tried to put the power down, the cramps hit,” she said with a wry smile. “I had to let her go. When you ride alone for that long, it becomes almost impossible to keep yourself cool. I took as many bottles as possible to cool down, but in the end it was too much. Haugset was simply too strong today.”

Temperatures during stage three reached as high as 39 degrees Celsius, or roughly 102 degrees Fahrenheit, in some places on Monday. According to Kopecky, the heat had remained manageable while she was sheltered inside the peloton, but her body reacted differently during a 72-kilometre one-on-one pursuit. During the live broadcasts on NOS and Eurosport, commentators also discussed a possible motorbike advantage for Haugset, who was accompanied by three motorbikes while leading the race.

However, Kopecky made no mention of that after the finish, where she was seen sitting against a barrier and trying to recover. The Belgian had only a team car behind her during a long pursuit that included extended stretches into a headwind. Earlier in the stage, Kopecky had also been part of a 12-rider breakaway, but the cooperation was poor. “That group wasn’t working together at all, and I don’t understand why,” she said. “It would have been much easier to reach the finish with that group.”