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This season has presented significant challenges for world champions Lotte Kopecky and fem van Empel, with both athletes struggling to reach their peak performance levels and facing uncertainty about regaining their top form.
Marta Cavalli, the accomplished Italian climber celebrated for her victories in the 2022 Amstel gold Race and Flèche Wallonne, has also faced considerable setbacks.
The frustrations experienced by Van Empel and Cavalli have prompted them to reassess their career paths, leading to transformative decisions in recent days.
Simultaneously occurring,Kopecky’s aspirations have been further hampered by a revised diagnosis of an injury sustained in a recent crash.
This development casts doubt on the remainder of her road season.
“the crash in the Ardèche race has had more serious consequences than initially thought,” Kopecky’s SD Worx ProTime team stated.
“She has suffered a vertebral fracture following her crash in the third stage of the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche.”
The fall was especially disheartening, given her victory in the opening stage.
kopecky, the world road race champion in 2023 and 2024, had previously abandoned plans to pursue a third consecutive title in Rwanda.
That decision followed a disappointing season, where the Belgian rider fell short of her own expectations. Despite winning the Tour of Flanders, her promising form during Paris-Roubaix faded before the race’s conclusion.
Since then, she has only secured two victories: the national championships time trial in late June and stage 1 of Ardèche.
A Season That Never Truly Ignited
following her standout season last year, Kopecky entered 2025 with considerable confidence, expressing her ambition to contend for the overall win in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, among other significant objectives.
However, she encountered numerous obstacles throughout the year.
Struggling to convert potential into tangible results, she withdrew from the Giro d’Italia Women in July due to back discomfort. Although she participated in the Tour de France Femmes, she was not at her usual level, achieving a best finish of 11th on stage 7.
Her pre-season aspiration of securing the yellow jersey was dashed, as Kopecky ultimately finished 45th.
After a prolonged break from competition following the Tour, she returned to racing in the Ardèche event. Despite her initial stage win, her fortunes took a turn for the worse when she crashed on stage 3.
“She immediately realized that her back was in a lot of pain and had to abandon the race,” her team reported.”initial examinations at a French hospital revealed no broken bones.However, due to persistent pain, Lotte traveled home to have further tests done in Belgium.”
She will now undergo a period of rest, with the progression of the fracture to be evaluated later. Team SD Worx-ProTime indicated that the findings of this assessment will inform the next steps.
“It is unclear what this means for the rest of the 2025 season. The Team SD Worx – protime rider had already decided not to defend her road world title in Rwanda,” her team stated. “However, she is still scheduled to compete in the world championships on the track in Chile from 22 to 26 October.”
Further evaluations will determine the feasibility of her participation, or whether her 2025 season is effectively over.
A Dutch Talent Makes a Pivotal Decision
Van Empel has faced similar challenges. She has demonstrated exceptional talent, securing the cyclocross world championships for the past three seasons and the European championships in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
While cyclocross has been her primary focus, she has also displayed considerable potential on the road. She won a stage in the Tour de l’Avenir in 2023,finished second on a stage of the Tour de Romandie Féminin that same year,and achieved eighth place in La Flèche Wallonne last season at just 21 years old.
There were high expectations that she would translate her cyclocross prowess into a accomplished road career, but in March, she announced on social media that she was taking a break.
“Right now,I’m facing some challenges. After discussing it with the team, we’ve decided that taking a break from racing is the best step for my mental health and well-being,” she wrote.”I’ll focus on my recovery with the goal of coming back stronger.”
Last week, Van Empel revealed a significant shift in her career, indicating that she was reducing her focus on road racing.
“I’m going to do what I love most,” she stated. “My motivation and enjoyment on the road were less strong than for cyclocross. once I made the choice, it immediately felt right. I fully stand behind my decision.”
She participated in the La Choralis Fourmies Féminine on Sunday, finishing with the main group, but it appears that any future road racing will be infrequent and aimed at refining her form for cyclocross.
The decision followed months of recovery from physical and mental fatigue. “I didn’t really know who I was outside of racing anymore,” she admitted, describing a lack of identity beyond the sport.
Van empel sought to rediscover her passion for road racing, collaborating with a mental coach, medical staff, and team management. She also engaged in activities outside of cycling to broaden her outlook.
“I’ve learned to value myself more as a person, self-reliant of results,” she said. “I’ve mostly found myself again and that makes me very happy.”
However, this was not enough to persuade her to continue on her previous path.
While road racing is no longer her primary focus, she remains passionate about cyclocross.
“What I enjoy the most is the constant variety. No race is ever the same: everything is constantly changing,” Van Empel explained. “That makes it both challenging and beautiful.
“You have to be very flexible,switch quickly,and keep making decisions throughout the race. In cyclocross, I have more control over how the race unfolds, and that really suits me.”
Van Empel describes herself as “incredibly excited,” which will reassure her family, supporters, and team.
“I’m just going to dive in and do what I love most,” she said.
“The crash in the Ardèche race has had more serious consequences than initially thought,”
Ending the Racing Journey
For Cavalli, this soul-searching has not rekindled her love for the sport. The Italian rider enjoyed a successful 2022, winning the Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne, and in the following year, she secured victories in both the Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées and the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche.
However, she faced increasing challenges, and while competing in Ardèche again, she did not finish stage 5.
She made a significant decision during that race and will now retire from professional cycling.
“Years and years spent chasing dreams and goals are taking their toll, and after pouring liters of sweat, clocking up kilometers, and pushing my limits time and time again, I feel weary,” the 27-year-old shared in a candid social media post.
“The last few years have been incredibly challenging due to the constant ups and downs. I’ve chased a condition that has never returned. My legs never felt as strong as I’d liked, and my motivation has waned.”
After finishing second in the Giro d’Italia Donne in her standout 2022 season, Cavalli entered that year’s Tour de France Femmes with high hopes. However, she suffered a significant crash on stage 2, and while her 2023 season was respectable, the past two years have been more challenging.
“I’ve found myself at a crossroads many times, but I’ve always chosen to stay and get back in the game as I’ve never liked giving up,” she said.
“A year ago, I faced one of the most difficult moments, I overcame it (fortunately not alone), and I’m back racing with a number on my back.”
Though, she has not been able to replicate her previous results and is weary of battling injuries and setbacks.
Cavalli has made a definitive decision to retire.
“I can calmly say that I no longer feel part of this world, and the time has come to say goodbye to the group because my work here is done.
“I can’t hide my disappointment, but the time has come when it’s best to let go and pursue other dreams I’ve had,” she said, expressing gratitude to those who have supported her.
While she cherished the prospect to have ‘senseless adventures,’ she is now moving on, not in the same way as Van Empel, who will remain involved in the sport, but by pursuing a completely new direction.
“It’s time to discover the world from a different perspective and live a more normal life.”
