Kopecky Claims Rainbows
Blanka Vas Wins U23 road race
On a brutal circuit in Glasgow, Lotte Kopecky finally earned the jersey that had so far eluded her: the rainbow stripes of the road race world champion. The solo victory after a searing attack on the final climb caps an incredible year in which Kopecky also won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the Tour of Flanders, road and TT national championships, a Tour de France Femmes stage, and the Tour's green jersey. In a season where Team SD Worx finished first and second so often, it was fitting that Kopecky's trade teammate Demi Vollering sprinted for silver behind her.
U23 women don't get their own race yet, battling within the elite field for their own rainbows. Once again an SD Worx rider came to the fore, with Hungary's Blanka Vas outsprinting Shirin van Anrooij for 11th overall and first U23 racer. The CX star shone as a sprinter this season, with victories in the Giro Donne and Tour de Suisse. Now she's World Champion.
Canyon//SRAM riders also swept the women's ITT medals, with Chloé Dygert winning the elite title and Antonia Niedermaier the fastest U23 rider.
Photo by Getty Images
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Photos by Ashley and Jered Gruber, and Getty Images.