Friends and family said goodbye to Seppe Kopecky (29), the brother of top cyclist Lotte, who died earlier this week in San Marco Village, along the A12 in Schelle, on Saturday morning. Nearly a thousand people attended the modest farewell ceremony and afterwards an impressive guard of honor with Bengal fire was formed.
Seppe Kopecky, the older brother of top cyclist Lotte, passed away last Saturday at the age of 29. Seppe was the first of the family to choose cycling and was therefore a great Source of inspiration for the most successful Flemish female cyclist. Lotte also has a younger brother, Hannes (23).
Saturday morning there was an impressive appearance on the A12 in Schelle. After a modest ceremony lasting just over an hour, friends and sympathizers paid a final salute in the form of a guard of honor where they lit Bengal fire.
The loss of Lotte’s brother has hit the Antwerp cyclist and her family hard, but Lotte still decided to participate in the Nokere Koerse this week, where she eventually won. “It seemed as if we were driving with two”, said Lotte. “These were not easy days, but there is no point in hanging my head and sitting at home. I wanted to make the best of it today. I am glad that worked out and I hope that somehow I was able to make Seppe a little proud.”
otte, Seppe and Hannes — © rr
“I am someone who needs to be able to move her mind and that works well on the bike. It was somehow nice to be able to join the squad and still be able to have a little laugh and think about him as little as possible. And I wanted to race.”
The three Schellenaars were affiliated with cycling club Increasingly Front in Kontich. They rode on the road, on the track and in the field. But Seppe, unlike his sister, wanted to become a cyclocrosser. “Sven Nys and Bart Wellens are my great examples”, said the then young teenager seventeen years ago.
© rr
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