Kopecky confronted with Vollering statements: "Maybe her boiling point is lower than mine?"

The women of SD Worx-Protime are having busy but enjoyable days. After a teambuilding trip to Lapland, they flew to Spain for their first serious training camp ahead of 2025. During the camp, team leader Lotte Kopecky did an interview with the Belgian paper HLN, where she talked about her relationship with Demi Vollering, who recently moved to FDJ-Suez.

In a recent interview with the Dutch outlet NRC, Vollering opened up about her relationship with her former co-leader. "Our relationship was completely different from last year. I felt like she was avoiding me a little and focusing more on herself. I can understand that, with all the expectations people in Belgium have of her. But she was very focused on next year when I won’t be there anymore," Vollering said in late November.

"This year, we always raced with two plans: one for Lotte and one for me. But I do best with a clear strategy. Then I know where I stand. I tried to keep in touch, but it felt one-sided. At a certain point, I thought: that’s it," Vollering explained, mentioning the tensions that rose during the Tour de Romandie.

Read more below the photo!

Vollering and Kopecky during the 2023 Tour, when things were all rainbows and sunshine

Kopecky reacts Vollering: "Completely unnecessary"

Of course, Vollering’s comments were widely reported. "Yes, I read that. Articles like this that are coming out now, I think it’s a shame," Kopecky told HLN. "I find it completely unnecessary to bring up these kinds of accusations now. I think Demi should remember that this team has given her a lot. Demi is a very good rider, but this team brought her to where she is now. I hope she’s very grateful for that, and she could show a bit more respect for it."

Kopecky admitted that it wasn’t an easy situation. "We had a spring where things didn’t go well for Demi. Luckily, she made up for it later in the Spanish races. But I don’t think it’s my fault that she didn't perform well enough in the spring. Afterward, we rode separate programs. She was aiming for the Tour, and I was aiming for the Giro and the Olympics. The first time we saw each other again as a team after spring was in Romandie, where Demi said she was aiming for the GC, and I also said I wanted to go for the overall win. I think that’s where things went wrong for Demi..."

"I find it a pity that she’s making these comments because in Romandie, she even told me all about her wedding plans. So, it’s not like we stopped talking to each other... Maybe her boiling point is just lower than mine?" Kopecky wondered. "I don’t know what exactly is bothering her. I’ve always had a good relationship with Demi, even after that incident at the 2023 Strade Bianche that got so much attention."

"Within the team, we always laughed about it because we saw it differently than the media did. Demi and I could still get along just fine... Even after that, I never felt like our relationship had changed," the Belgian added. "I hope we can keep treating each other with respect in the future. At least, that’s certainly the case for me. I hope Demi feels the same," she concluded.

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