After a difficult day at Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) was dominant at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, never looking in any kind of trouble.
Not when the breakaway was seven minutes ahead, not when her rivals pushed the pace on the toughest climbs, nor when she found herself in a group of four heading towards the finish.
At each moment, the world champion looked composed, in control, and most importantly, she looked strong. There is a reason why Kopecky is the world champion.
Kopecky's dominant ride delivered her to a record-breaking third win in the women's Tour of Flanders, and her first in the rainbow jersey, arguably even more symbolic than her victory in the Belgian national champion's kit.
“This is a victory I’ll remember for a long time," she said after the race.
"The closer we got to the Tour of Flanders, the more I dreamed of winning it as world champion. I’m already cherishing that photo in the white shorts."
Despite looking the strongest rider all day, it wasn't a big solo move that delivered Kopecky to the win, instead a four-up sprint to the line, but she was never worried about that situation.
"I had confidence in my finish. I knew Liane Lippert was fast, but I couldn’t really judge Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. I did expect a late attack from Kasia Niewiadoma, but that never came. So I believed in my sprint and went all in.
Kopecky's variety of victories in Oudenaarde are testament to her prowess in this race.
“All three of my Flanders wins were different. The first I partly owe to Chantal [van den Broek-Blaak]; that one was, in a way, the easiest," she said. "The second I won solo, which was tough. And now this one, completely different again."
There was perhaps some surprise that Kopecky didn't attempt a solo attack, possibly meaning she isn't in peak condition. Ultimately that didn't matter, as the help from her teammates and her strong sprint meant she was always in a winning situation.
“I felt good on the climbs, but going into a sprint like that is always tense," she said.
"Mischa Bredewold’s attack after the Taaienberg came at the perfect moment. It put Anna van der Breggen and me in the perfect position. That was also when I realized I had good legs.
"Anna [van der Breggen] told me, ‘You’re the strongest in this group,’ and that gave me confidence.
"After that, it was all about surviving the Kwaremont and then the Paterberg. After we crested the Kwaremont, I thought: this is fine for me. I expected a late attack from Niewiadoma, but it didn’t happen. It turned into a really nice finale.”
Liane Lippert and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot had both led the charge on the Koppenberg and the Kwaremont, but on the final climb, the Paterberg, the group seemed content to stay together, which worked in Kopecky's favour.
“Was I surprised no one tried to go solo on or after the Paterberg? Yes and no. The wind wasn’t favourable. You can try to attack, but with three strong riders chasing and working together, that’s not the smartest move.”
After a mid-week test at Dwars door Vlaanderen, and going into the race downplaying her own chances, victory in Oudenaarde was extra special for Kopecky, and one that will take pride of place in the photo album.
“To win as a world champion in your own country, that’s what dreams are made of.”
