Lotte Kopecky and Axel Merckx have shifted their routines away from the European racing calendar to spend the off-season touring the United States, according to Wielernieuws. The Belgian rider, who competes for SD Worx-Protime, and Merckx, a former professional cyclist and current directeur sportif for the Hagens Berman Jayco development team, married in May following a long-term relationship.
Cycling Across San Francisco and the Marin Headlands
After Kopecky secured a world title in the elimination race at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in China in October, the couple stayed in Shanghai for a holiday before crossing the Pacific Ocean. Their itinerary included a stop in Hawaii prior to arriving in San Francisco. There, they completed a ride across the Golden Gate Bridge and through the Marin Headlands, a route documented on Strava that included a stop for a photograph on the bridge.
Merckx posted a message on Instagram detailing the excursion:
“The ride of yesterday, the favorite memory of today. Kilometers are better when shared with your best friend. Riding over the Golden Gate Bridge, chasing the sunset, and being reminded once again how lucky I am to have you by my side.”
Merckx added further remarks on his spouse:
“You are my wife, my best friend, my greatest adventure, and the person who holds my heart. Here is to a life full of sunsets, adventures, laughter, and kilometers together. I don’t need a destination when I have you beside me.”
Riding the Roads of Morgan Hill
Several days after their San Francisco trip, the pair undertook another ride in the vicinity of Morgan Hill. The trip continues a stretch of personal travel for the couple following their wedding in May, which they previously described as a day they would cherish for the rest of their lives.
While Kopecky remains under contract with SD Worx-Protime and Merckx works as a team manager at Hagens Berman Jayco, neither has announced competitive entries for the immediate weeks ahead as their off-season schedules remain unconfirmed.
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