[Lotte Kopecký won the Strade Bianche ahead of Annemiek van Fruten, proving her ability to handle climbs and sprints.

But after a tough Tour de France femme, the Belgian pulled the pin at the world championships. And now she is fighting for two rainbow jerseys in Australia.

Kopecký had a great start to the 2022 season, winning the Tour of Flanders after winning Strade Bianche, finishing second in Paris-Roubaix, winning a stage at the Vuelta a Burgos, and winning the Belgian national time trial. But the victories stopped there.

Although he did finish on the podium, with second place in stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia Donne and third in the Tour de France, Kopecký was also involved in a crash with compatriot Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM).

"The Tour de France was super painful for me," Kopecky told Cycling News after a media conference north of Wollongong this week. 'My body was suffering a little bit. So after that I decided to take some time off and skip the road European Championships.

And that wasn't the only time she decided to skip.

"After the Tour, I actually didn't touch my bike for a week. My body needed some rest."

Kopecky said that initially the decision to abandon the Australian World Championships weighed on her. However, after her success on the track, winning gold medals in both the points and elimination races, she said she regretted that decision.

"After it was over, I was at home and I really thought I made the wrong decision," she said.

"So I called my coach again and said if my position was still available, I would definitely take it again."

And this time, the rider, who has been a national champion in this discipline for the past four years as well as in road racing, has added the World Championship Time Trial to her agenda.

The 34.2-km elite women's time trial, to be held on Sunday morning, September 18, will take riders two laps around the circuit, on a course with many corners, starting near the waterfront in central Wollongong, passing through and around the city center and back again.

It is a technical course with the potential for unexpected results. Kopecky, however, said that he was unsure of his final position as this would be his first attempt at a time trial in the World Championships.