Lotte Kopecky speaks from the heart: "Sometimes it’s hard to hear what people say about you, when they have no idea."

That remark needed some context, because up until Sunday, little had been known about Kopecky’s struggles over the winter. A few days after her final spring classic, she clarified things in a personal message. “I wasn’t looking for excuses, and being straightforward is something I believe in. Maybe I should’ve thought twice before saying I should be happy with my spring.”

"But I was really done with all the opinions and high expectations. I truly felt like I just wasn’t good enough anymore." Lotte Kopecky didn’t hold back in explaining how overwhelming the outside pressure became. “We need the media. But sometimes it’s hard to hear what people say about you without them having any idea what’s going on in our lives. We set goals, but that doesn’t mean we reach all of them. In the end, we lose more than we win,” she summarized.

“I struggled with my knee this winter. I often had to stay off the bike,” said the two-time world champion. “Mentally, that’s quite tough for someone who’s a bit addicted to this sport. But I also learned a lot about my body. I’m happy I was still able to help Wiebes to the win in Milan–San Remo. I couldn’t make the difference myself, but I’m glad I could support the team.”

“After that, I felt my body really needed race rhythm, because I couldn’t do any high-intensity training over the winter. But race by race, I felt progress. Sometimes big, sometimes small. I tried to trust the process and the foundation I’ve built over the past few years,” she explained.

Her next big goal is the Tour de France Femmes, where she wants to aim for the overall classification. “I’ve never reached my full potential. Like many of you, I wanted more victories and to honor this beautiful rainbow jersey. Overall, I’m happy with how things went. I’m coming out of the classics with good form, a fresh feeling, and a huge hunger for victories.”