She had already decided not to defend her world champion jersey in the road race in Rwanda due to an unsuitable course, but Lotte Kopecky was aiming for the World Track Championships. However, the Belgian superstar from Sd Worx Protime is forced to end her season early because of a vertebral fracture sustained in the third stage of the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche.

"More than a week has passed since my accident in Ardèche. A stupid accident with rather serious consequences... I had to wait a bit to see how quickly things would return to normal. Unfortunately, not as quickly as I would have wanted. The wisest decision is to definitively close my season. So no World Track Championships for me 😓 Last year I was injured in the knee, and then I just wanted to start training again as soon as possible, which led to a series of setbacks and ultimately left me even further behind in condition. This time, however, I want to approach this situation the right way. I will give myself the necessary time to allow my body and the fracture to heal correctly. Fortunately, I can walk, I can even clean the house a bit 🤣 I have the best possible support around me. With patience, experience, and lots of love ❤️🥰 I will return 👊" she wrote in a message to her fans on her social media profiles, accompanied by a photo of her with her dog and a video where she is already engaged in rehabilitation.