Belgian women’s cycling is experiencing significant evolution, largely attributed to Lotte Kopecky, a standout in the 2025 Tour De France Femmes. As this year’s race commences on Saturday, it is essential to acknowledge the trailblazing women who laid the groundwork for her achievements.
This year has presented challenges for Kopecky. The reigning world champion faced interruptions to her winter training due to a knee injury, and she also dealt with persistent back pain leading up to her primary objective for the season—the Tour De France Femmes.
Consequently, Kopecky is not regarded as one of the frontrunners for victory this year, and a repeat of her remarkable second place finish in 2023 appears unlikely.
If she were to defy expectations and secure the title, she would mirror the accomplishment of her fellow Belgian Heidi Van De Vijver, albeit with a complex backstory.
International Star
Heidi Van De Vijver achieved victory in the Tour of the European Community (Tour de la CEE) in 1993, an event organized by the ASO, which also established the men’s Tour de France. That same year, she placed second in the Tour Cycliste Féminin, a competing race.
“Whether I won the Tour de France for women? To be honest, I still don’t know,” said Van De Vijver in 2021.
Regardless, Van De Vijver emerged as Belgium’s preeminent female cyclist during the 1990s, gaining international recognition at a time when women’s cycling received minimal appreciation. She placed in the top ten in her Tour de la CEE debut in 1990 at the age of 20, and two years later, secured podium finishes in both the Tour Cycliste and Tour de la CEE.
“Whether I won the Tour de France for women? To be honest, I still don’t know.”
“I realized then that I could really climb,” she recounted. In 1993, she dominated the leader’s yellow jersey almost from the outset until the very end, aside from the prologue. Her strategy involved “controlling the race, countering and shadowing the main competitors.”
Trailblazer in Cycling and Beyond
Over a century prior to Van De Vijver’s accomplishments, Hélène Dutrieu, another Belgian, shattered the women’s world hour record.
At the time, towards the end of the 19th century, women’s cycling was branded “indecent,” considered a threat to established gender norms. Dutrieu, however, was one of the pioneers who pushed against these societal constraints.
After setting the hour record, Dutrieu became the world champion in track cycling. She retired at a young age, as it was challenging to sustain a living through cycling. Subsequently, Dutrieu transitioned into stunt work and aviation, ultimately becoming Belgium’s first female pilot.
Yvonne Reynders, who shaped Belgian women’s cycling in the mid-20th century, won world champion titles seven times between 1955 and 1967, including four on the road and three on the track.
Reynders’ first world championship victory came on home ground in Rotheux-Rimière, Liège province. Her journey began at the age of 16, where she trained by transporting heavy coal bags with a cargo bike for her family business in Antwerp.
Her successor, Nicole Van den Broeck, clinched five Belgian championships and her most notable achievement was her road world championship victory in Barcelona in 1973.
At the time of her peak success, she juggled her role as an independent milkwoman while taking her first two-week vacation for the world championships.
While these pioneering women faced considerable underappreciation for their achievements due to the prevailing disinterest in women’s cycling, circumstances have markedly improved over the last 15 years.
Grace Verbeke significantly contributed to the increased visibility of women’s cycling in Belgium by winning the prestigious Tour of Flanders in 2010, and finishing sixth in the world championship in Geelong, Australia, that same year. However, her career was truncated due to injuries sustained from a training accident in 2011.
Prolific Winner
The predecessor to today’s cycling queen, Kopecky, is Jolien D’hoore, who amassed four Belgian road titles and earned a reputation as one of the top sprinters in the women’s peloton. She was a prolific winner on both road and track, with her standout moment perhaps being her bronze medal win in the omnium at the 2016 Olympics.
On the track, D’hoore frequently teamed up with Kopecky, achieving success together by winning the madison at the world championships in Hong Kong in 2017. On the road, however, they competed against each other, as they do today.
Since retiring as a competitor, D’hoore has transitioned to a sports director role for the Belgian team AG Insurance–Soudal. This team plays a pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of Belgian cycling talent, including the current Belgian champion, Justine Ghekiere, and the promising young cyclist Lore De Schepper, who represents one of Belgium’s key prospects for the future.
Lotte Kopecky will aim for success once again on July 7, 2025, at the Giro d’Italia Women, showcasing the growing prominence of women in cycling.
