World Cycling Championships 2024: In the sprint: Kopecky defends world title
Thomas Huber
· 28.09.2024
After winning the 2023 World Championships in the road race, Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) is also unbeatable at the 2024 World Cycling Championships in Zurich. Together with Demi Vollering (Netherlands), Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy), Chloe Dygert (USA), Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Australia) and Liane Lippert (Germany), the Belgian came onto the finishing straight and proved that she still had the freshest legs. After Longo Borghini opened the sprint with her attack, Kopecky pulled away and could no longer be caught. She won by more than a bike length ahead of Dygert and Longo Borghini. Liane Lippert was only centimetres off third place in the end, ultimately finishing fourth.
Lippert narrowly misses out on World Championship title
Liane Lippert delivered a strong race in the road race of the 2024 World Cycling Championships in Zurich. When the favourites around Longo Borghini and Vollering attacked 20 kilometres before the finish, she was the first rider to parry the attacks and stay on the back wheel of the top riders. The 26-year-old continued to be active and was able to keep up with all of Vollering and Kopecky's attacks. In the final, Lippert lacked a little freshness and the last bit of luck to finish on the podium. Nevertheless, the German rode an outstanding race and proved that she is one of the world's best in one-day races.
World Cycling Championships 2024 - Results: The top 10 of the women's road race
- Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) 4:05:26
- Chloe Dygert (USA) +0:00
- Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) +0:00
- Liane Lippert (Germany) +0:00
- Demi Vollering (Netherlands) +0:00
- Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Australia) +0:00
- Justine Ghekiere (Belgium) +1:06
- Marianne Vos (Netherlands) +1:06
- Riejanne Markus (Netherlands) +1:06
- Blanka Vas (Hungary) +3:00
How the women's road race of the 2024 World Cycling Championships went
On the 154-kilometre World Championship course between Uster and Zurich, three riders broke away shortly after the start of the race. Caroline Baur (Switzerland), Sara Martin (Spain) and Nina Berton (Luxembourg) formed a breakaway group at the start, but the peloton did not let them go too far. The peloton left less than two minutes to the breakaway trio.
It rained throughout the race, causing riders to crash, especially in the first half of the race. The German Hannah Ludwig was one of those who fell, but she was by no means the only rider to fall. Meanwhile, the breakaway was caught 102 kilometres before the finish.
Breakaway group around Koch is caught again early on
This was immediately followed by further attacks. Niamh Fisher-Black (New Zealand) and Riejanne Markus (Netherlands) were among those who attacked. They made off with nine other riders. They were joined by Justine Ghekiere (Belgium) and Franziska Koch (Germany). The group did not gain a minute on the peloton, so that the group was swallowed up by the peloton 74 kilometres before the finish.
Afterwards, the peloton kept increasing the pace, so that the peloton thinned out more and more. With 42 kilometres to go, it was once again Markus and Ghekiere who were able to open up a gap to the remaining peloton. Although they were caught again 10 kilometres later, they managed to escape again immediately afterwards. This time they did not ride as a duo, but were joined by Marianne Vos (Netherlands) and Roby Roseman-Gannon (Australia).
Lippert closes the gap to the top
One of the favourites attacked from the thinned-out peloton 20 kilometres before the finish. Elisa Longo Borghini launched her attack, which only Liane Lippert and Demi Vollering were able to counter. The three riders quickly caught up with the leaders. It was then Chloe Dygert with Lotte Kopecky in tow who also caught up with the front. Because Vos, Ghekiere and Markus had problems 10 kilometres before the finish, there were now six riders at the front: Kopecky, Dygert, Vollering, Longo Borghini, Roseman-Gannon and Lippert.
A few kilometres before the finish, Roseman-Gannon and Dygert had to break away, while shortly afterwards Longo Borghini took the lead of the peloton on a ramp and opened up a small gap. However, Kopecky, Vollering and Lippert quickly closed the gap again. Because the four riders at the front of the peloton were too tactical, Roseman-Gannon and Dygert closed the gap on the last kilometre. Kopecky then took the world title in the final sprint, while Lippert finished fourth.
