In one word, this is fantasy. This year's edition of the Czech Tour, which will take place from 25th to 28th July, announces the eighth confirmed team from the World Tour category. The duels between riders from the top tier of cycling will not be missed by the Belgian squad Soudal Quick-Step, whose jersey is worn by two-time world champions Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe, as well as Czech riders Jan Hirt and Josef Černý.
"The eighth world-tour team on the Czech Tour, a complete fantasy for a Czech fans," commented Czech Tour director Leopold König. This year's interest of the world's best teams only confirms the growing international reputation of the most important Czech cycling event, last year the organisers welcomed three elite teams.
For Czech cycling fans, the Soudal Quick-Step team, nicknamed the Wolfpack, has an exceptional reputation among the elite. No other team has such a significant Czech footprint: since 2010, the owner has been Czech businessman Zdeněk Bakala and since 2012, the team has had five Czech riders. In addition to the legendary amphibian Zdeněk Štybar, there is also František Raboň, Petr Vakoč from the younger generation and the aforementioned Jan Hirt and Josef Černý.
"The Czech trace is really very strong. Currently, there is a great climber Jan Hirt and with him Josef Černý, formerly such stars as Zdeněk Štybar and Petr Vakoč. And then there are the stars of contemporary cycling like Remco Evenepoel, Julian Alaphilippe or Tim Merlier," says Leopold König.
The Belgian team has a reputation of a predator in the spring classics, to which Zdeněk Štybar has also contributed with his triumphs. But at the same time, the rich collection of its riders also includes stage laurels and overall championships at Grand Tours, world championship titles and triumphs at the Olympic Games.
Just in last year the team recorded 55 victories, including a win at the oldest Monument Liège -Bastogne- Liège and six stage wins at the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta. It was Remco Evenepoel who dominated the Vuelta in his colours in 2022, while Jan Hirt shone in the same year with a stage triumph at the Giro and sixth place overall. Although Julian Alaphilippe has been waiting for a big result for some time, he is still considered a top rider in contemporary cycling. And he can also boast his knowledge of Czech realities: in the early days of his career, he competed in the 2013 Peace Race for riders under 23 and the Czech Tour, where he was coincidentally beaten to the overall triumph by Leopold König.
Is there a chance that one of the stars of the Soudal Quick-Step team will be at the Czech Tour this July? "We don't know the specific line-up for the Czech Tour yet, but I believe they will come with an extremely strong squad. In addition, the Belgian team has joined other top teams such as UAE Emirates, Bahrain Victorious, Visma-Lease a Bike or Ineos Grenadiers. This year's Czech Tour will thus be a truly extraordinary event, unprecedented on Czech roads," says Leopold König.
The elite teams mentioned above are also joined by Bora-hansgrohe, Intermarché-Wanty and DSM-Firmenich PostNL Teams. And it is certain that the Lidl-Trek team will also be represented: the Lidl-Trek Future Cycling development team with reigning Czech champion Mathias Vacek will be present at the start. The elite Czech teams ATT Investments with the current time trial champion Jakub Otruba and Elkov Kasper will also be present.
In addition to the record participation of World Tour teams, the biggest Czech cycling event of the year announces other news. In addition to the new cities on the race map, these are mainly the premiere live broadcasts from each stage on Czech Television’s channel ČT2.
Confirmed teams for the CZECH TOUR 2024
WorldTeam category
- Bahrain Victorious
- Bora-hansgrohe
- DSM-Firmenich PostNL
- Ineos Grenadiers
- Intermarché-Wanty
- Soudal Quick-Step
- UAE Team Emirates
- Visma-Lease a Bike
Pro category
- Bingoal WB
- Corratec Selle Italia
- Flanders-Baloise
- Polti-Kometa
- Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
- TDT - Unibet Cycling Team
- Tudor Pro Cycling
- Uno-X Mobility
Continental category
- ATT Investments
- Elkov-Kasper
- Lidl-Trek Future Racing
CZECH TOUR 2024 programme
- Stage 1 – 25 July: Prostějov – Ostrava (151,2 km / 1 422 m)
- Stage 2 – 26 July: Zlín – Pustevny (170,1 km / 3 462 m)
- Stage 3 – 27 July: Moravská Třebová – Dlouhé Stráně (134,7 km / 2 206 m)
- Stage 4 – 28 July: Šumperk – Šternberk (131,9 km / 1 953 m)
Foto: Cor Vos
