Julia Kopecky: I'm looking forward to the Czech Republic, we have the ambition to win the Tour de Feminin

Together with another Czech cyclist, Eliška Kvasničková, who took bronze overall, they immediately became the darlings of the local crowd. Julia, then eighteen years old and now a year older, is looking forward to coming to Krásná Lípa and its surroundings again this year. And she makes no secret of her high ambitions.

"I am looking forward to the Tour de Feminin. Last year I took three podiums and was fourth overall. This year I'm going to the Czech Republic with the team with the highest ambitions," she said in her greeting before the video from the training camp in Girona, Spain.

Her father is Czech and her mother is Dutch, so she speaks both her parents' languages in addition to English. She races for the Belgian team AG Insurance - Soudal. Her older brothers Tomas and Matthias are also racing cyclists.

Although she talks about the team, she also makes no secret of his personal ambitions ahead of the Tour de Feminin. "Besides success in the overall standings, it would be nice to win a stage," she says with a smile.

She will be doing his second stage race in the Czech Republic at the end of May. In April, she rode the traditional Gracia Orlová race with her team, where she finished ninth overall and fourth among the U23 cyclists. She finished sixth in one of the stages and seventh in another. "It was a great preparation," she said of the traditional event. She added that she has two more races before the Tour de Feminin.

In her greeting to her fans, she did not forget her Czech. "I hope you will come and cheer," concluded the ever-smiling Julie.