The 2024 Tour de Flanders was far from the day Team SD Walks Pro Time had hoped for. World champion Lotte Kopecký was the defending champion and was hoping to wear the rainbow jersey and win the Ronde for the third year in a row. In the end, however, Kopecký finished 5th, Demi Vollering 8th, and Lorena Wiebes 11th, leaving the team off the podium.

Like the previous year, the Koppenberg was the most influential climb of the race; in 2023, Kopecky, Wiebes, and Marlen Reusser were three out of four in the lead group after this steep cobbled climb. This year, Kopecky and Vollering were stranded and had to run up the cobblestones, which were slippery from the pouring rain. In addition, Reusser fell on the first cobblestone section and broke his jaw.

"Kasia (Niwiadma - Canyon SRAM) made a strange move and Lotte and I had to get off the bike. I waited for Lotte and thought we would go back together. But it took too long and drained my energy. It was a shame because I think if we had been at the front we could have had a really good race," Vollering said in an interview with Eurosport after the race.

Unfortunately, the incident that stranded Vollering and Kopecky, as well as Pfeiffer Gheorghi (DSM-Filmenig-Post NL) and Emma Norsgaard (Movistar), occurred seconds before Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) and Chloe Diggart ( Canyon-SRAM) was not shown on the broadcast because the camera was focused on the collision.

At first glance, the fact that they had to run the Koppenbergs killed any chance, or even possibility, of a SD Volks Pro Time victory. However, Vollering and Kopecky entered this climb in 15th and 16th place.

"I didn't get far enough ahead before the Koppenberg, partly because I was pushed a bit, but also because of myself," Kopecký said later.

Not placing high on the Koppenberg did not automatically rule out a good result--Niwiadoma, who eventually finished second, was in 17th place behind Voerling and Kopecky at the start of the climb. But the 29-year-old Polish rallied from behind to overtake them early in the climb, when the gradient was still not as severe.

European champion Misha Bredewald did her best to get ahead of Voerling and Kopecky before the crucial climb, but her efforts came too late.

Vives, by contrast, was in excellent position. Pulled to the front by Christine Majerus well ahead of Koppenberg, she was in fifth place behind Marianne Vos (Team Vimaris a Bike) as they entered the climb.

"Unfortunately, Aude Quaremont was a bit too much for me," Vives said.

In summary, Team SD Walks Pro Time was unlucky, and Kopecky said he did not feel 100% in the race. However, it was definitely a case of "too many chiefs and too few Indians," as well as having three leaders (one of whom crashed) on a team of six, despite the fact that one had won the last two events.

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