Nowhere is there as much feeling as on the Koppenberg. The slippery cobblestones of the slope proved crucial for both men and women. “Falsification of prices”, according to one, “cross states” according to the other. A summary of the different opinions.
Were they amazing or gruesome images?
In any case, the scenes were almost unseen for a professional peloton. On the Koppenberg, only Mathieu van der Poel, Matteo Jorgenson and Mads Pedersen reached the top on the men’s bikes. The result of those annoying slippery cobblestones.
There were more riders among the women all the waybut world champion Lotte Kopecky had to run to the top.
Images for the history books, reminiscent of 1987.
Then the Dane Jesper Skibby choked on the steep cobblestone slope with percentages of up to 22% – it resulted in an iconic cycling moment, even more so than on Sunday.
An impatient race commissioner then smashed Skibby’s bike to pieces. The Koppenberg eventually paid the bill and disappeared from the Tour for years. It was not until 2002 that the light went green again.
Racing or racing
However, on Sunday the old discussion flared up again. Is it responsible to include the Koppenberg – especially in wet conditions – in the Tour route?
“This is not a man-to-man fight, this is just a competition to see who is the best cyclocross rider on a stretch of a few hundred meters,” said someone on X.
Viktor Verschaeve, ex-professional cyclist, even went one step further: “Pure course distortion,” he said.
