When it was announced that Lorena Wiebes would be leaving Team DSM for SD Worx in 2023, many in the cycling community predicted that the move would unsettle Lotte Kopecky.

In an interview with Sporza (opens in new tab), Kopecky dismissed such speculation, revealing that she believes Vives' move to SD Worx will be positive for the team and for her own career.

She likes the idea that she will be able to more freely take on wildcard roles in some of the bigger races going forward.

"I have no problem with that," Kopecky said.

"I see it as a positive. If we start together, we can have a more aggressive and free race. If it comes down to a group sprint, we have Lorena." [SD Worx has consistently topped both the UCI World and Women's World Tour rankings for six of the past seven seasons and continues to reign as the most dominant women's team in the world.

Their success can be attributed to the collective strength of their individual riders, their team tactics, and their focus on developing young riders and future talent.

Kopecky has completed her first full season with SD Worx with great success. Her victories in Strade Bianche and the Tour of Flanders were highlights of the year. She is not only an accomplished sprinter, but also one of the most powerful punchers in the peloton.

She is hoping to put up a similar performance in 2023.

"It's very hard to match or even exceed that. But it will motivate me to work super hard again this winter and to get the best possible results next year," Kopecky said.

With 23 wins in 2022, Wiebes is arguably the best sprinter in the women's peloton, and with her on the roster, SD Volks will have an aggressive sprinter to rely on throughout the entire Women's World Tour.

In fact, the team has begun building a lead-out train exclusively for Wiebes with Barbara Guariski, Elena Cecchini, Christine Majerus, and Roneke Uneken.

SD Worx will unite at a preseason training camp next month, where Kopecky will learn more about the 2023 goals.

"At the moment I don't know exactly what my summer will be like. There's the Tour de France Femme and then the World Championships right after that. I have to consider it carefully with the team," she said.

Her goals for the season include both road and track racing, with a particular focus on the 2024 Paris Olympics.

"Right now I am mainly focused on the spring. The European Championships in track are already in mid-February. It's the first Olympic qualifying meet, so that's important," said Kopecky, a four-time track world champion in Madison (twice), eliminations, and points races.

"I'm hoping to peak big in the Tour de Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, but the Olympics are already in the back of my mind. I hope to get a lot of points this year so I don't have to worry about that in 2024."