Lepisto looking to take two steps forward in 2019

Lotta Lepisto says that the 2018 season was a step backwards in her progression but the 29-year-old hopes that her switch to Trek-Segafredo over the winter will allow her to take two steps forward.

After a stellar 2017, Lepisto endured a difficult campaign this season with illness hampering her throughout. There were some positive notes such as the retention of both her national titles and stage wins at the Ovo Energy Women’s Tour and Giro Toscana, but Lepisto is ready to put the year behind her.

“It was a learning year for me, I think,” Lepisto told Cyclingnews. “I was sick many times this year. I don’t know how many times, maybe three or four, I had the flu at the beginning of the year and it didn’t really go away. Also, I crashed many times this year. It was a hard season for me. I’ve taken really good steps every year from 2014 but now it felt like a little step back, but I think it is needed to take two steps forward again, I hope.”

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While Lepisto has her sights on big targets such as the Giro Rosa and Gent-Wevelgem, her main goal is not victories. Through the difficulties of last season, Lepisto feels that she lost her way and some of her confidence. In 2019, she hopes she can get that back and everything else will hopefully fall into place.

“You lose it a little bit when you get sick and then the form is not so good, and you have to get back and then you fail and then you have to do it again and again. I got a few wins this year, but it was hard,” said Lepisto. “I just want to get the sprinting back, it was so hard this year, so I just want that back. That’s my biggest goal, to get back my sprinting and win some big races and then the goals will come more naturally.”

As Lepisto mounts her attempt to return to form, she will have a clean slate and a new team to do it with. The Finish rider was one of 13 signings for the new Trek-Segafredo women’s team. It is the first time in her career that she has switched teams after turning professional with the Bigla Pro Cycling [now Cervelo-Bigla] team in 2014. It’s a big change for Lepisto and everything is on a bigger scale at Trek, from roster size to backroom staff.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com