After Vollering’s departure, what will the future hold for SD Worx?

To say the least, it was a turbulent season for SD Worx-Protime. Danny Stam’s women’s team enjoyed another successful season, but 2024 was largely overshadowed by rumors of who would stay and who would leave. The outcome is now clear: Demi Vollering left, and Lotte Kopecky stayed. Will the return of Anna van der Breggen create a new headache for the team? Stam himself doesn’t think so.

In an interview with Het Nieuwsblad, the team leader reflected on Kopecky’s season. He concluded that 2024 was another great success. Stam highlighted one remarkable victory as the Belgian’s most impressive win. "I’m choosing a moment when I wasn’t even in the follow car. (laughs) At the World Championships, I was nervously watching from the sidelines. But Lotte was so resilient in that race. I truly found it to be the best of the year."

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The arrival of Anna van der Breggen will create a new dynamic at SD Worx

Stam thinks Kopecky and Van der Breggen will work together just fine: "Anna was always very loyal"

Kopecky showed herself as both a classics rider and a stage race leader. Once again, it won’t be easy to match last season. "The question is: do we want to aim for similar results or choose a different path this time? If Lotte decides to take a different route, it will have a significant impact on her program. We’ll review this once Lotte returns from her vacation, but we parted with the intention to explore the next steps for next year," Stam acknowledges, perhaps hinting at a potential victory in a grand tour.

Then there’s Van der Breggen’s return, a surprising new addition to Stam’s team. After all, the Dutchwoman had been retired for three years and is returning to the team at age 34. Van der Breggen was successful in the areas where Kopecky also wants to excel. This raises curiosity about how things will go. In the Tour de Romandie, we saw a heated 'battle' within the team between Vollering and the world champion. How should we interpret the new situation?

Stam is confident. "I believe it’s going to work out very well. In the past, Anna was always very loyal to her teammates. I think those two will make an exceptionally good match. That’s how our team functions. When we brought in Lorena Wiebes, people also said that this couldn’t possibly work with Kopecky. I think we’ve proven the opposite by now. And knowing Anna’s character, it’s only going to get better next year."

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Dividing goals between Van der Breggen and Kopecky? Lefevere doesn’t even think it will come to that

Lefevere doesn’t see Van der Breggen as threat to Kopecky: "She shouldn’t lose sleep over it"

Patrick Lefevere also shared his opinion as an analyst on the carousel that took place at SD Worx. The Belgian team manager of Soudal Quick-Step believes that Kopecky has no reason to be afraid of her future Dutch teammate. Not necessarily because the two women will be teammates. Lefevere simply isn’t convinced that Van der Breggen will immediately be at top level.

"Do we expect Van der Breggen to immediately be back at top level?" PatLef counters his fellow analyst Ine Beyen. "No idea. In the years she was away, women’s cycling has, of course, evolved tremendously," Beyen then responds. Lefevere subsequently offers Kopecky some reassurance. "That’s exactly why. Lotte shouldn’t lose any sleep over it."

However, Beyen is less convinced; she actually expects Van der Breggen to return at a high level. "I find it remarkable. If there was one person I was sure wouldn’t make a comeback, it was Van der Breggen. Apparently, a lot has changed in the meantime. There are many races where you can wonder: what role will Van der Breggen play, and what role will Kopecky play?"

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