Lotte Kopecky main contributor to Belgian success in UCI World Championships

With four days to go, the UCI Cycling World Championships are coming to an end. While Wout Van Aert took home a silver medal in the men's road race, the real Belgian highlight is Lotte Kopecky, who won a total of three medals on the track.

Kopecky's season has already been a success, with a Tour of Flanders victory and second place in the Tour de France. But the Belgian is not only an expert on the road, she is also one of the world's best track cyclists.

Last week in Glasgow, Kopecky showed off her talents once again. She kicked off the World Championships with a bang on Sunday, successfully defending her title as World Champion in the elimination race.

On Tuesday, Kopecky won another gold medal in the points race. "This is the result of a lot of hard work. The reward for many years of training," she said after winning her second rainbow jersey.

"This is the result of years of hard work"

After her second gold medal, Kopecky was one of the favourites for the omnium, in which riders collect points by competing in several track events. But a disappointing time trial left her too far behind to win the title. An excellent heat race and points race saw her finish with a bronze medal.

While the track events have been decided, Kopecky's hunt for medals is not yet over. She will be one of the favourites in the women's road race on Sunday. She won silver in Australia last year.

But, whatever happens this weekend, Kopecky will return to Belgium happy. "If I am not satisfied with these results, then I better stop racing," she said on Wednesday.

^{© BELGA PHOTO DAVID PINTENS}