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Lotte Kopecky aims to rediscover top form, supported by Axel Merckx: 'He knows what our life involves'

Lotte Kopecky wants to get back to a place she barely reached last season: true top condition. Speaking to Sporza ahead of the new campaign, the Belgian rider pointed to a slow build after an injury late last year and to the steady familiarity she says she finds in her relationship with Axel Merckx.

January 9 2026 - 4:15 PM

Specialized - SD Worx-Protime

“I’m really looking forward to the new season,” Kopecky said to Sporza at the press day of Team SD Worx-Protime, while explaining why her winter looked more measured than usual. “I had a long and slow preparation because of that injury at the end of last season. Because of that, I’ve had little real holiday or rest.”

The pause she did take was brief and functional rather than celebratory. “Only between Christmas and New Year I went away for three days on a ski trip, to clear my head and start preparation with full motivation.”

Kopecky described 2025 as a year where the sensations never matched the expectations. “Because last season I never felt I was in top condition. It was a frustrating year,” she said. Still, she stressed there were moments worth keeping, starting with the cobbled monument she knows better than most. “It was also not one to forget. I won the Tour of Flanders and not many can say that. So, I try to take as much as possible from it, but leave the negative behind me.”

That balance of realism and ambition runs through how she frames her goals for 2026. Rather than forcing a Tour de France narrative, she made it clear where her focus sits. “I know I shouldn’t think about the Tour now, as long as the course doesn’t suit me,” Kopecky said. “I’m happy I can focus again on what I’m good at. My heart is in the spring, the classics like the Tour of Flanders.”

Even with three wins already on her record, she did not hide the hunger. “That race is the one I would most like to win this season, even though it’s already three times on my palmares.”

The final topic is the one that drew attention last week: Kopecky’s relationship with former rider Axel Merckx, son of legendary Eddy Merckx.

She kept it understated, but did acknowledge the comfort of being with someone who understands the demands of the sport. “Happiness is a nice feeling for every person,” she said.

“I don’t really know what to say about it. We are very happy together.” The part she did want to underline was recognition. “Axel also knows what cycling involves and what you have to do for it. He knows the life that has to be lived. On that level we are on the same line.”