Kopecky eyeing the double

April 8 ^th 2025 - 09:30

> 23 teams of 6 riders each will tackle the Hell of the North on Saturday, 12 April in the fifth edition of Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift.
> The title holder, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx–Protime), is the odds-on favourite. The world champion ticks all the boxes to become the first woman to win the race twice.
> However, she will face stiff competition from the Lidl–Trek armada (Van Dijk, Balsamo, Deignan…) and a double threat from Visma–Lease a Bike, where Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is springing back into action with Marianne Vos.

One name stands head and shoulders above the rest going into the fifth edition of Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift: Lotte Kopecky. After finishing second in 2022, the Belgian went one better last year, sprinting to victory from a group of six big guns. Back then, she was already the hot favourite and racing in the rainbow jersey, both of which she will be doing again when the peloton rolls out of Denain on Saturday. Will the outcome be the same too? On a race as unpredictable as the Hell of the North, no-one can know for sure, but the Belgian looks every bit the part and is the centre of attention.
 
Last Sunday, on the other side of the border, where her popularity has reached fever pitch, Lotte Kopecky claimed the Tour of Flanders and pulled ahead as the record holder for most victories in the race, with three to her name. On Saturday, she could write a new line in the history books if she manages to become the second woman to raise her arms in triumph for the second time on the track of the Vélodrome André-Pétrieux. She would also become the first female rider to bag the Flanders–Roubaix double, a feat that would dispel any lingering doubts on her status as the top classics specialist in the world.
 
However, there will be no shortage of obstacles on the roads of the Nord department, chief among them the 17 cobbled sectors (same as last year) on the 148.5 km course. Kopecky is part of the SD Worx–Protime dynamic duo, alongside, the sprinter Lorena Wiebes, but Lidl–Trek will hold the numerical advantage. The American outfit will be fielding Elisa Balsamo (runner-up to Kopecky last year), Elizabeth Deignan (winner of the inaugural edition), Lucinda Brand (third in 2022), Emma Norsgaard (sixth in 2021) and a juggernaut of the calibre of Ellen van Dijk (sixth in 2024 and seventh in 2023).
 
Visma–Lease a Bike are also eager to spell double trouble for their rivals. Second in 2022 and fourth last season, Queen Marianne Vos will be able to count on Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who is returning to the Hell of the North after tweaking her build-up to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. The Frenchwoman, who claimed gold in mountain biking at the last Summer Olympics, is turning heads in her road racing comeback. The former world cyclo-cross champion, third in Strade Bianche and second in the Tour of Flanders, known for her bicycle handling skills, has what it takes to tackle the cobblestones.
 
Another stellar debutante is the world mountain biking champion Puck Pieterse (Fenix–Deceuninck). Finally, the Frenchwomen Victoire Berteau (Cofidis) and Marie Le Net (FDJ–Suez) are just two of the many dark horses eager to emulate Alison Jackson (EF Education–Oatly), who staged an upset by winning the 2023 edition in a breakaway move.

23 TEAMS, MAIN CONTENDERS
 
Australia
Liv AlUla Jayco: Amber Pate (AUS)
 
Belgium
AG Insurance–Soudal Team: Kimberley Le Court (MRI) and Ilse Pluimers (NED)
Fenix–Deceuninck: Puck Pieterse (NED), Christina Schweinberger (AUT) and Marthe Truyen (BEL)
Lotto Ladies: Lea Lin Teutenberg (GER)
DD Group Pro Cycling Team: Vera Tieleman (NED)

France
Arkéa–B&B Hotels Women: Marjolein Van't Geloof (NED)
Cofidis Women Team: Victoire Berteau and Marion Borras (FRA)
FDJ–Suez: Elise Chabbey (SUI), Amber Kraak (NED), Marie Le Net and Eugénie Duval (FRA)
St. Michel–Preference Home–Auber93: Lucie Fityus (AUS) and Alicia González (ESP)
Winspace Orange Seal: Aurela Nerlo (POL)

Germany
CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto: Zoe Bäckstedt (GBR), Chiara Consonni (ITA) and Chloe Dygert (USA)
Ceratizit Pro Cycling Team: Danieke Hengeveld (NED), Kristýna Burlová (CZE) and Mylène de Zoete (NED)

Netherlands
Picnic PostNL: Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR) and Charlotte Kool (NED)
SD Worx–Protime: Lotte Kopecky (BEL), Lorena Wiebes (NED) and Blanka Vas (HUN)
Visma–Lease a Bike: Marianne Vos (NED), Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Margaux Vigié (FRA)
VolkerWessels Women's Pro Cycling Team: Lonneke Uneken (NED)

Norway
Team Coop–Repsol: Sigrid Haugset (NOR)
Uno-X Mobility: Anniina Ahtosalo (FIN), Maria Giulia Confalonieri (ITA) and Marte Berg Edseth (NOR)

Spain
Movistar: Cat Ferguson (GBR) and Olivia Baril (CAN)
 
United Arab Emirates
UAE Team ADQ: Lara Gillespie (IRL) and Sofia Bertizzolo (ITA)
 
United States
EF Education–Oatly: Alison Jackson (CAN) and Letizia Borghesi (ITA)
Human Powered Health: Katia Ragusa (ITA) and Lily Williams (USA)
Lidl–Trek: Elisa Balsamo (ITA), Emma Norsgaard (DEN) and Ellen van Dijk (NED)