Kopecky reacts to yellow card after Vuelta sprint relegation - 'If I start a sprint tomorrow, I would do exactly the same'

Lotte Kopecky has been given a yellow card and relegated to 36th place after she was adjudged to have deviated from her line in the sprint on stage 2 of La Vuelta Femenina.

The SD Worx-Protime rider clashed with eventual winner Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal) in the finishing straight, dropping her chain in the process. Kopecky raised an arm in frustration, crossing the line in 15th place.

Speaking to Eurosport immediately after the finish, Kopecky was initially reluctant to discuss the specifics of the incident, saying: “I think you all saw, I don’t want to say anything about this.”

When the official results were published after the stage, the commissaires relegated Kopecky to the back of the front group, citing UCI rule 2.12.007-5.1, which covers “deviation from the chosen line that obstructs or endangers another rider or irregular sprint.”

As well as being relegated to 36th, Kopecky was given a yellow card and a fine of 200 CHF. She was also docked 18 points in the points classification of the Vuelta. A second yellow card on the Vuelta would lead to disqualification and a seven-day suspension.

“I was just about to shift up a gear, but with a SRAM system, if you push both buttons at the same time, you go to your small chainring,” Kopecky told Sporza of the clash with Bossuyt. “The moment I shift up, I make contact with Shari. Then I go onto my inner chainring and my chain comes off.”

Later that night, Kopecky reacted to the jury’s decision on Instagram.

“If I start a sprint tomorrow, I would do exactly the same. I got a great lead out from Anna van der Breggen and started my sprint, so I took my line, not Anna’s. So yes, I had to move off my original line. At that moment, no one was next to me yet."

“After watching the video, I really want to say Shari did not do anything wrong. So absolutely, congrats to her! I don’t agree with the jury’s decision, but that’s another discussion altogether.”

Kopecky, who placed second on the opening stage, now lies third overall at the Vuelta, 10 seconds down on new race leader Franziska Koch (FDJ United-Suez). Previous leader Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) abandoned the race after crashing in the finale of stage 2.