Tour of Flanders 2023: Is SD Worx’s Lotte Kopecky unstoppable, or will Annemiek van Vleuten reign again?

The cobblestones of Flanders are set to play host to an exciting race on Sunday as the Tour of Flanders takes place.

The 20th edition of the women’s event features a number of standout contenders, none more so than reigning champion Lotte Kopecky.

The native Belgian has seen her SD Worx team reshaped in the intervening 12 months to accommodate the arrival of Lorena Wiebes from Team Sunweb, but remains among the favourites.

Kopecky admitted the challenging conditions in the build-up to the event had taken their toll.

She said: “The cold in Gent-Wevelgem seriously affected me, so I didn’t really have a good feeling this week. I wasn’t panicked, but I still listened to my body and rested well. Fortunately, I had good legs again during the reconnaissance. I am confident that I will be at my best on Sunday.”

The reigning champion also admitted to being somewhat distracted by the looming Paris-Roubaix race, saying: “My spring is already a success, but that does not mean that I do not want to win on Sunday. It is just no longer necessary, there is a lot of pressure off my shoulders. Paris-Roubaix is already in my head. If I can choose, I’ll go for Roubaix. But it won’t stop me from trying to win on Sunday.”

Team-mate Demi Vollering agreed that SD Worx are in a strong position following excellent preparation.

She said: “We’ve grown a lot as a team – again. This year, you can feel the spirit in the team is super, super good. We are really willing to give it our all for everybody. We’ll race like always. We need to try to be as good as possible again in Flanders of course, but I think it’s really nice that we win so much recently – that gives a good feeling in the team.”

SD Worx have already collected six wins so far, and team director Lars Boom says the atmosphere within the team is part of the secret. He said: “This group of girls is working particularly well together. There is a great vibe in the hotel. We’re having fun.”

The prestigious one-day cycling race through Belgium is considered one of the most important on the cycling calendar.

Two-time winner Annemiek van Vleuten of team Movistar is taking part for the final time, with her retirement imminent.

She suggested that she was feeling little pressure to go out with a victory, suggesting that SD Worx should bear the tag of favourites.

She said: “I’d rather not get caught up again with a surplus from SD Worx, although there is a good chance of that. We have to forge a plan to see how we can squeeze out of it, but that will certainly not be easy in Flanders with a team that is so dominant. I know I wasn’t good enough to follow them in the Strade Bianche, but every race is different and I’m better too, so I’m going to Flanders in good spirits.”

Also known as the Ronde van Vlaanderen voor Vrouwen, the course features a challenging and varied parcars that runs south from Brugge to Oudenaarde.

Another likely to figure in the final reckoning on Sunday is Marianne Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma). She too sought to throw the pressure on SD Worx, saying: “There are different teams with different strengths, but SD Worx has the depth and a very strong team.”

Vos is still recovering from pelvic artery surgery – she dropped out of Trofeo Alfredo Binda with leg cramps -, and so is not in the front rank of favourites this time around.

The first edition of the women’s race took place in 2004. It has been won by some of the sport’s most accomplished and celebrated riders, including van Vleuten, Lizzie Deignan, and Fabiana Luperini.