Belgian Lotte Kopecky retains her title by winning the sprint

Lotte Kopecky won in Zurich ahead of the American Chloé Dygert and the Italian Elisa Longo Borghini.

The 154 kilometers of race between Uster and Zurich, in Switzerland, coupled with capricious weather, revealed their truth and above all their world champion, Saturday September 28. It was the Belgian Lotte Kopecky who won for the second consecutive time after her title last year in Glasgow. She beat the American Chloé Dygert and the Italian Elisa Longo Borghini in the sprint, after a suspenseful end to the race. The first Frenchwoman, Juliette Labous, is 12th, while Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt retired for her return to the road.

Already crowned last year in Glasgow, Lotte Kopecky, 28, who gave up the Tour de France this year, came to close a magnificent year during which she notably won Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de Romandie. She joins the club of runners who have retained their world title: Anna Konkina, Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel, Jeannie Longo (three times), Giorgia Bronzini, Susanne Ljungskog and Marianne Vos (who finished 8th this year).

“It was raining, it was cold. Three laps from the end I was freezing, but I tried to stay calm. When Demi [Vollering] attacked on the long climb, I had difficulty but I got back to my rhythm, and in the end it came down to nerves. You had to keep your cool and use your energy at the right time.”analyzed the new double world champion at the end of her race.

The Dutch will be able to regret an incomprehensible race strategy, even though they were outnumbered in the last lap and had the upper hand for a large part of the race. Demi Vollering finished 5th, Marianne Vos, 8th, Riejanne Markus, 9th, Puck Pieterse and Mischa Bredewold failed in 13th and 19th places. This is the first time since 2014 that no Dutch woman has finished on the World Championship podium.