UCI Cycling World Championships 2024: Lotte Kopecky claims back-to-back women's elite road race gold - results
The Belgian star won a sprint finish to add to her title from last year with Chloe Dygert and Elisa Longo Borghini finishing second and third in Zurich, Switzerland on Saturday (28 September).
Cycling Road
Belgian star Lotte Kopecky captured back-to-back women’s road race titles at the 2024 UCI Cycling World Championships in Zurich, Switzerland on Saturday (28 September).
The 28-year-old celebrated her second consecutive victory in style winning a sprint finish in a time of four hours, 5 minutes, and 26 seconds (4:05.26). She edged US rider Chloe Dygert into second place with Elisa Longo Borghini of Italy rounding out the podium.
The race over 154.1km took place in miserable conditions amid grey clouds and a consistent drizzle that made life difficult in the saddle. The riders set off from Uster before taking on four 27km laps.
Opening on a sombre note, a minute of silence was observed at the start line - with the Swiss team locking arms in an emotional moment - in honour of young rider Muriel Furrer, who died after she sustained a head injury in a fall during the women’s junior road race on Thursday.
While the Dutch team was dictating the pace up front, it was still anybody’s race with 42 cyclists riding in the peloton with two more 27km laps to go.
The final two laps delivered multiple breakaways often led by a Dutch rider resulting in an ebb and flow as the peloton is chiselled away.
With one lap remaining a quartet of riders made up of three-time world champion Marianne Vos, Riejanne Markus, Ruby Roseman-Gannon, and Justine Ghekiere had almost a minute on the chasing pack of 19 odd riders.
They were soon joined by Demi Vollering, Longo-Borghini, and Liane Lippert with Kopecky and Dygart.
With 14km to go, Dygert and Kopecky had joined the lead group setting up a climactic finish to the race with nine riders in with a shot.
The lead group had been whittled down to six riders with six kilometres to the finish before Longo Borghini attacked at the top of a climb before she was reeled in again.
The race came down to a sprint finish over the final kilometre with Kopecky leading the group of six riders.
Longo Borghini sparked the sprint with 300m to go but the glory belonged to Kopecky as she punched her chest in victory.
“I want to give my condolences to the family of Muriel (Furrer). The minute of silence at the start and seeing the Swiss riders crying is just something you don’t want to see. It is a very hard moment for them as well,” Kopecky said after the race.
“It was a really annoying day because it was raining, it was not warm. On the climbs it was warm and then on the downhill, you got so cold. I tried to keep my head as cool as possible.”
Results - UCI Road World Championships 2024 - Women's Elite Road Race
- Lotte Kopecky (BEL) 4:05.26
- Chloe Dygert (USA) +0
- Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) +0
- Liane Lippert (GER) +0
- Demi Vollering (NED) +0
- Ruby Roseman-Gannon (AUS) +0
- Justine Ghekiere (BEL) +1:06
- Marianne Vos (NED) +1:06
- Riejanne Markus (NED) +1:06
- Blanka Vas (HUN) +3:00