Kopecky 10th and best young rider in Maryland

Another tough one day race and another gritty performance from Matyas Kopecky and Team Novo Nordisk as the 22-year-old Czech chased down a result in a stormy edition of the Maryland Cycling Classic.

What started out as a hot and sunny semi-classic style circuit race in Baltimore turned into a wet and stormy affair as the heavens opened and threw down on the peloton with around 70km left to race.

After early attacks from Spanish climber David Lozano to try and make the break were thwarted, the world’s first all diabetes professional cycling team focused on Kopecky and when the race splitting move came he was there, or thereabouts….

“When the first major attack came I was just behind and chasing,” began Kopecky. “That kind of sums up the second half of the race for me really. I chased a lot, but made it back into the front group every time. It was explosive there at the end.”

“When the storm broke it certainly had an effect, not just on the wet roads but also the energy of the race. It was hot and humid and then it cracked and that kind of coincided with how the action played out.”

Kopecky was part of what initially was around 20 riders at the front with the race in pieces behind and as the attacks kept coming the kid kept chasing. At one point pulling out his cyclocross box of tricks to execute a miraculous save as he slid into the barriers heading into the last lap.

“I banged my arm up a little on the railings,” continued Kopecky. “But I instinctively covered the leaver so it didn’t get caught, so my arm took the impact and after a wobble I made to hold it upright.”

“That made for another chase and unfortunately seven guys were clear by then and I was sprinting for the top ten. I made it and the white jersey is a bonus, but I feel like we could have had more today.”