Reigning world champion Lotte Kopecký is the favorite to win the women's road race at the Paris Olympics on Sunday, but the Belgian is not the only one who has the Dutch team of Lorena Wiebes, Marianne Foss, Ellen van Dijk, and Demi Vollering racing expects to take the lead in the making of the race.

The Olympic format will not attract many of the world's top riders from traditional European cycling countries, but rather the best riders from around the world. Exhaustion means that many of the 96 starters will be eliminated before they reach the finish circuit and hit the crucial Montmartre climb at the end of the race in Paris.

Kopecky told Wielerflits that he is not sure how the race will play out, but he expects his teammates in the trades and their Dutch rivals to be among the top favorites and strongest teams in the 158km race.

"As for the first 100 km of lumpy roads before the race reaches the Paris circuit," Kopecky said. 'It's going to be a bumpy first 100 kilometers before the race reaches the Paris circuit.'

Joining Kopecky on the Belgian team are Justine Gekier, Julie Van de Velde, and Margot Van Pattenbeek, and while she recognizes that their quartet may not be on the same level as their Dutch rivals, she and her team confident in both her own ability to adapt to any scenario.

"I don't think the level of my teammates is that bad. It depends on the outcome of the match, but I'm confident that we still have the qualities to stay in the finals. If they are gone, it's because the race was really tough and they had to work really hard. I would be happy to leave some of them in the final."

Belgium is one of five teams that qualified four riders, along with the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, and Great Britain. The next five countries in the rankings will have three slots, the 11th through 20th will have two slots, and the 21st through 45th will have one slot each. The balance and size of the teams would add yet another element to a scenario that already contains many elements.

"It won't be a super difficult course, but it will be a grueling race because it will be difficult to control. Tough races are in my favor in principle, but some racers are happy with this," Kopecky told Wielerfritz.

The Paris course has been compared to the course at the Glasgow World Championships, where Kopecký won the rainbow jersey in the final. While the extent to which the Montmartre climb would be decisive "depends on how difficult the race was," Kopecký noted that while the Montmartre climb was favorable for several riders, it was also a point of caution for the peloton.

In Tokyo, the Dutch team suffered a disappointment when they made a big mistake, allowing Anna Kiesenhofer (Austria) to take a big lead on a solo attack. Kopecký hopes they will not make the same mistake in Paris.

"I want them to be in control because they have a top-class contender for the win," Kopecký said. 'You have to take responsibility somewhere. We saw things go wrong in Tokyo. I will communicate well with my teammates if necessary, but I don't intend to make them burn out early in the race."

Nor does Kopecky intend to focus solely on Lorena Wiebes, who is expected to be her main challenger.

"I have some assets to win the race. I don't profit from one scenario, but several possibilities. On the other hand, it will be an unpredictable race and I can't say much more," Kopecky said. 'Hopefully the pieces of the puzzle will fit together. Elisa Longo Borghini, Kasia Niewiadoma, and the bosses would agree. They are the main contenders after Wiebes, but I think there are also outsiders like Kim Le Court and Grace Brown." They can even surprise you."

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