Lotte Kubicki (fourth): “It was not just the Netherlands, the United States and Italy that was wrong.”

Lotte Kubicki failed to give Belgium a second Olympic medal. Antwerp stranded ten seconds of bronze. Then she muttered, “I made one mistake.” Not responding to the Longo Borghini explosion.

Kubiki rode in the race she was supposed to lead, but ended up in a thankless fourth place. And that was difficult for the Belgian. “I felt good. But I should have acted faster when Elisa Longo attacked Borghini. I tried to bridge the gap, got a little closer at first, but then got stuck. I sat in a block.”

Kubicki then spoke of the strange tactical approach of the Dutch bloc, in pursuit of the first three deserters. “I couldn’t do anything about it other than stay ahead of Kissenhofer,” she said. “I did what I could to start things off. But if you’re not driving by fours from the same country, I don’t know what’s in your head.”

United States and Italy
Remarkably, Kubicki certainly did not mention the Netherlands alone. “The US also had four riders up front after the climb. The Italian women were also represented by three. Then you just have to drive the whole thing. You can’t keep betting on multiple horses.” Kubicki knew the Austrian was leading the way.

And that Kisenhofer’s stay ahead was not even a big surprise to Kubicki. “If I was afraid of anyone in the leading group, it was Kissenhofer. I once rode her on the team at Lotto Soudal, she’s a real speed racer. She saw it so well. Not many people knew her. Giving Kissenhofer ten minutes was a great gift.”

Kopecky now takes its good cycling tracker performance. “Although I have to accept this disappointment first. I think I deserve a medal. Anyway, I want to at least try to do at least one better place than today.”