No woman has ever won the Tour of Flanders more than twice. On Sunday, Lotte Kopecky will head into the race as the favourite to win, a victory which would bring her a third triumph in a row, and a place in the history books.
On paper, it all seems quite simple. Kopecky is the reigning world champion, the winner of Strade Bianche, and has seemed unbeatable on the course of De Ronde over the last two years. She will bring with her an SD Worx-Protime squad stacked full of talent, ready to chase down attacks, set up counterfeints, and generally cause a headache for the other teams.
This story is from the March 28, 2024 edition of Cycling Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 28, 2024 edition of Cycling Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Is pro racing getting more dangerous?
There are many factors that contribute to the perceived greater risks. One that does not get any attention is the greater importance of UCI points and the need to constantly collect them to avoid relegation.
A Saturday in Hell
It's the most brutal race of the year - 29.2km of the worst cobbles northern France has to offer, over 17 agonising sectors, starting in Denain and finishing in the iconic Roubaix velodrome. For the men, it's referred to as a Sunday in Hell, but for us, hell comes a day early.
Gitane - Tour de l'Avenir
Classic French brand's homage to a revered amateur race
6 WAYS TO THINK YOURSELF FASTER
However flawless your physical preparation, the mind has a tendency to throw a spanner in the works come the big day. James Witts offers six ways to keep the brain onside with the body
MAURICE BURTON'S - SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS
9 life lessons from Britain's first Black cycling champion
PEAKS PRACTICE
The Peak District is home turf for Manchester-based British pro riders and has been the formative terrain of top domestic riders for decades. Adam Becket finds out why it's so effective
Zeb Kyffin: stepping out of the fish bowl
TDT-Unibet's British rider tasted the team's first World-Tour event at the Amstel Gold Race. Adam Becket finds out how the day went
Thomas to go for 'very top step' at Giro
Welshman and Ineos ready for duel with Tadej Pogačar, reports Adam Becket
Brown and Niewiadoma beat Vollering
SD Worx-Protime are far from unbeatable in 2024, as team misses out in Ardennes Classics
Pogačar lays down marker for Giro d'Italia
Liège win signals Slovenian's readiness for clash with Geraint Thomas, reports Adam Becket
