Copponi grabs Lidl-Trek’s first road race podium of the season
The second of four one-day races in Mallorca brought wind, echelons and hard, hilly racing. Starting and finishing in Llucmajor, the peloton raced through 134km of undulating roads, split across four laps.
The final 50km provided plenty of action as the peloton scattered into echelons, with Copponit joined by teammate Anna Henderson at the head of the race. Despite strong chasing from the peloton, the front echelon remained clear through the final lap, setting up a sprint finish from the small group. Henderson piloted Copponi into the finish, dropping off the French sprinter on the wheel of Cat Ferguson (Movistar). In the final push for the line, Ferguson remained clear with Copponi hot on her heels in second place.
(Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
“The first part of the race was really slow, but Movistar opened the echelons with UAE before the last lap when the wind was strong,” said Copponi. “I was with Anna and together we managed to save energy for the finish. She did a really good job in the final and brought me to a good wheel. It’s good to start the season with a podium but I was hoping for more from myself so I’m not completely happy. I know what I have to work on now for the next races and can’t wait to race again!”
