'Paris-Roubaix is tailor-made for her' – Lotte Kopecky primed to become first repeat winner as SD Worx-Protime line up with options

Lotte Kopecky is poised to make history at the upcoming Paris-Roubaix Femmes by becoming the first rider to win the race twice. After securing victory in 2024 and already claiming Milan-San Remo this season, Kopecky enters Sunday’s race as the clear favourite. Her team, SD Worx-Protime, is confident in their strength in numbers, though they acknowledge that success in Roubaix depends heavily on both power and a degree of luck, given the race’s notoriously challenging cobbled sectors. Key rivals such as Marlen Reusser and Elisa Longo Borghini are absent due to injury, further boosting Kopecky’s chances of defending her title. SD Worx team manager Danny Stam highlighted that Paris-Roubaix is a race that rewards only the strongest riders, with the difficult terrain and unpredictable conditions often proving decisive. Stam also emphasised that while team tactics matter, the winner is usually the rider who can endure the brutal cobbles and avoid misfortune such as punctures or crashes. Despite missing out on the podium at the Tour of Flanders, Kopecky’s form remains strong, and her team believes the flat, rough cobbles of Roubaix suit her better than the hillier Flemish race. Stam also identified teammates Blanka Vas and Lorena Wiebes as potential contenders, though Wiebes’s recovery from a recent crash remains uncertain. Only two other former winners, Alison Jackson and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, will be present, underscoring the rarity of repeat champions in the race’s short history. The event marks a significant moment as the men’s and women’s Paris-Roubaix races will be held on the same day for the first time, a development that Stam described as “classy” and a positive step for the sport. With Kopecky leading a well-balanced and powerful team, the race promises to be a thrilling contest that could see the Belgian star cement her place among the greats of women’s cycling.