{"id":45411,"date":"2022-08-09T09:15:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-09T07:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prim.cz\/aktualita\/czech-tour-sazka-tour-2021-2023-2\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T13:29:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T12:29:51","slug":"czech-tour-sazka-tour-2021-2023-2","status":"publish","type":"aktualita","link":"https:\/\/prim.cz\/en\/aktualita\/czech-tour-sazka-tour-2021-2023-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Czech tour – SAZKA Tour 2021-2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The race will take place from August 4 to 7 and its first stage will start in the Olomouc Region in the town of Uni\u010dov. Over the following days, cyclists will pass through beautiful Moravian terrain and the finish line will await them in the town of \u0160ternberk. In total, the athletes will cover a route 731 kilometres long with an elevation gain of 12,600 metres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The beauties of nature<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides the sporting performances, viewers can also be drawn in by the route itself. It passes through attractive locations, such as the Bumb\u00e1lka mountain pass, the popular ski resort \u010cervenohorsk\u00e9 sedlo, and the Pustevny pass with its almost fairy-tale wooden buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year 140 riders from the twenty best Czech and world professional cycling teams \u2014 the World Teams \u2014 started in the race, and this year participation will be even more exclusive. And it won’t just be professionals who will find something to enjoy \u2014 amateur cyclists will too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try one of the toughest sections<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From this year’s edition, the SAZKA Tour Challenge is also part of the event. The 12-kilometre race will take place on August 6 ahead of the main peloton on one of the most feared sections \u2014 the ascent to Dlouh\u00e9 str\u00e1n\u011b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201eWe want to give amateur cyclists the chance to find out how much it hurts to go uphill. They will experience a steep climb and will be able to compare themselves with each other or with the best riders in the main peloton. They will see the demands of the race from very close up and will probably feel quite a bit of pain,” explained Leopold K\u00f6nig, former Czech rider, winner of the second and fifth editions of SAZKA Tour and current race director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheer with us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would you like to be there with us? We would love to see you! For more information about SAZKA Tour click this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author of the opening photo: Jan Brychta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022 Edition<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Kukrle was second after a breakaway in the final stage of SAZKA Tour, overall winner was third-placed Rota<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Czech cyclist Michael Kukrle of team Elkov Kasper finished second in today’s final stage of Sazka Tour, which covered 180 kilometres and ran from \u0160umperk to \u0160ternberk over a total of 2,720 metres of climbing. The final leg was won after a breakaway by Frenchman Alexis Guerin.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Race leader in the overall standings Italian Lorenzo Rota had to change a wheel during the stage, but in the final stretch he managed, with the help of his teammates, to get close enough to the leading group, finished third today and narrowly defended the yellow jersey for the overall winner of the prestigious stage race. On the finish line he beat Dane Anthon Charmig by just three hundredths of a second, who had been threatening him in the overall lead. The best Czech in the overall standings Jan Hirt finished twenty-first today and is eleventh overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201eToday is my lucky day. The team worked hard for four days and it paid off,”<\/em> celebrated Rota, who just a few metres before the finish line was still losing to Charmig and only overtook him on the line. \u201eIt was tough, but I’m satisfied. The breakaway today was no problem, we knew we’d catch them, but the finish was dramatic,”<\/em> said the leader of team Intermarch\u00e9 Wanty Gobert Materiaux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About twenty kilometres from the start the peloton split into several groups; the leading one had more than ten riders including three Czechs \u2014 Kukrle, Daniel Turek and Karel Camrda. The group held the lead for most of the stage and Dutchman Mathijs Paaschens was threatening the yellow jersey of Italian Lorenzo Rota. The team remained calm, even though the peloton at times had a deficit of nearly five minutes. In the final stretch of the stage it was Czech cyclist Jan Hirt who played a big role in chasing down the leading group and breaking up the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Approximately 60 kilometres before the finish, the pair of cyclists Guerin and Kukrle \u2014 who won the final stage of Sazka Tour in 2018 \u2014 broke away from the leading group. The gap of the brave duo looked very promising and the peloton ultimately failed to catch them. Olympic athlete from Tokyo Kukrle did not respond to the Frenchman’s final attack and rode to second place with a deficit of four seconds. In the final kilometres the field broke apart significantly, Rota arrived another 24 seconds back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201eThe breakaway took a long time to form and was difficult, they were chasing us, it was very tough to get into it, we had to ride very fast over the first three climbs,”<\/em> Kukrle assessed at the finish. He had broken away from the large group before Moravsk\u00fd Beroun, gained a lead and Guerin joined him. \u201eI was glad about that, we cooperated until the last climb,”<\/em> said Kukrle. While in the first stage he was disappointed by his third place, today he was satisfied. \u201eHe was stronger today, had better legs, I didn’t have more in me,”<\/em> he acknowledged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the race Kukrle had been confident about the first and last stages. “I’m glad I managed it, that I was visible, that I achieved good results. In the first stage I could have raced differently in the final, but today it came down to performance and there was nothing better I could do. I believe these results will help me for the further development of the season. I want to prepare mainly for the world championship, that is a great motivation for me,”<\/em> Kukrle added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The complete start list can be found under the “Teams” tab \/ Start list https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/tymy<\/a>
Results \/ Results https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/vysledky<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo credit “Jan Brychta \/ SAZKA Tour”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: SAZKA Tour<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eleventh-placed Hirt helped Rota keep the yellow jersey at SAZKA Tour<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Czech cyclist Jan Hirt escorted his teammate Lorenzo Rota to sixth place on Dlouh\u00e9 str\u00e1n\u011b and helped him keep the yellow jersey as the overall leader of Sazka Tour. Hirt finished eleventh in the third stage and was especially active on the final climb. The 150-kilometre stage from Moravsk\u00e1 T\u0159ebov\u00e1, on which riders climbed 2,730 metres, was won by Kamiel Bonneu from Belgium, who in a close finish beat Anthon Charmig from Denmark.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly after the start a large breakaway group of twelve riders formed, including four Czechs. They held their lead for a long time, but approximately thirty kilometres before the finish on the first climb to Dlouh\u00e9 str\u00e1n\u011b they were caught. The main peloton came back together and headed into the second ascent of the feared hill in the Jesen\u00edky mountains as a group. But then it broke apart \u2014 the riders of team Intermarch\u00e9 Wanty Gobert Materiaux were very active.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hirt felt considerably better today than in previous stages. \u201eIt was good, I could have achieved a result for myself as well,”<\/em> Hirt said. His task was, however, to help his teammates. \u201eI think today I could have attacked, but on the last climb I was setting the pace for the guys and I’m very happy it worked out and we kept that yellow jersey, even though the end wasn’t perfect and we weren’t on the podium. The others had better legs in the final. But it was a nice race today, it helped a bit that the weather improved and we cooled down a little and fortunately didn’t get soaked,”<\/em> Hirt assessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final Sunday stage of SAZKA Tour covers 180 kilometres from \u0160umperk to \u0160ternberk and cyclists face 2,720 metres of elevation. There are several demanding climbs, but it can be expected that Hirt’s team will guard the overall lead. \u201eTomorrow it will suit our guys better, it also has a more technical finish, so I believe we’ll hold it,”<\/em> added Hirt, who will be racing for the top team Quick Step next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The complete start list can be found under the “Teams” tab \/ Start list https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/tymy<\/a>
Results \/ Results https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/vysledky<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo credit “Jan Brychta \/ SAZKA Tour”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: SAZKA Tour<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rota won the second stage of Sazka Tour, seventeenth-placed Hirt helped him to victory<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Shortly after the start, a group of several cyclists broke away from the main peloton. None of the Czech representatives were among them, but the five-rider group built a lead of more than six minutes at one point and held it almost until the final climb. There the peloton swallowed them up and the final second ascent to Pustevny shook up the standings.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hirt was very active, helping teammates on the climb, but in the end he couldn’t keep up. \u201eI wanted to be a bit higher up, but today it was very much about team cooperation. It’s great that we have the winner and another rider in third place,”<\/em> Hirt assessed the stage. \u201eThe tactics before the race were set \u2014 I would ride for the guys, Rota was very active and ultimately he carried it through to the end. I’m happy, we’re in a good position as a team, that’s the main thing,”<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Saturday the riders face the queen stage from Moravsk\u00e1 T\u0159ebov\u00e1 to Dlouh\u00e9 str\u00e1n\u011b, which will actually be ridden twice. Riders will climb a total of 2,730 metres, mostly in the second half of the 150-kilometre stage. \u201eIt will be demanding, but we won’t ride defensively, we’ll definitely want to win again as a team and keep the yellow jersey, I also want to be right up front. And we still need to add those runner-up spots in second place,”<\/em> Hirt said with a smile \u2014 he will be racing for the top team Quick Step next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The complete start list can be found under the “Teams” tab \/ Start list https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/tymy<\/a>
Results \/ Results https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/vysledky<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo credit “Jan Brychta \/ SAZKA Tour”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: SAZKA Tour<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kukrle was third in the first stage, victory to Belgian Herregodts<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Michael Kukrle made it onto the podium in the first leg of SAZKA Tour, the prestigious cycling race whose opening stage was held today from Uni\u010dov to Prost\u011bjov and covered 181.5 kilometres. The Elkov Kasper rider finished third in the final sprint of a five-rider group that just barely held off the breakaway all the way to the finish straight. The winner was Belgian Rune Herregodts ahead of his compatriot Johan Meens. The biggest Czech star of the race Jan Hirt finished with the main peloton in 76th place.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kukrle, an Olympic Games participant in Tokyo, was part of a group that broke away shortly after the start and built a lead that it somewhat unexpectedly held all the way to the finish. \u201eI knew it would be tough, it was up and down, but I wanted to try it and win the stage, even though I thought it didn’t have much chance of success,”<\/em> Kukrle assessed. \u201eAnd when it did make it to the finish, I didn’t manage to win it, so I’m not entirely happy with how it turned out,”<\/em> said Kukrle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second Czech in the breakaway group Jan Ka\u0161par was fourth and lost the battle for third place to Kukrle. Into the top ten in eighth place came young sprinter Pavel Bittner. \u201eTomorrow it will change, today’s lead won’t play a role, we won’t be in the overall standings,”<\/em> reckoned Kukrle, who similarly escaped the peloton at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. \u201eBut today was painful, I was ill a month ago and I’m not yet in ideal form. Tomorrow we’ll ride for Honza B\u00e1rta and Kuba Otruba and we’ll see how it goes,”<\/em> he planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second stage starts on Friday in Olomouc at Horn\u00ed n\u00e1m\u011bst\u00ed and will finish at the well-known hill Pustevny, which cyclists will climb twice during the stage. In total they face 189.3 kilometres and 2,910 metres of elevation, which will certainly shake up the overall standings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The complete start list can be found under the “Teams” tab \/ Start list https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/tymy<\/a>
Results \/ Results https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/vysledky<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo credit “Jan Brychta \/ SAZKA Tour”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: SAZKA Tour<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2021 Edition<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Zana defended his lead at SAZKA Tour, Johannessen won the stage laurels again<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Italian youngster Filippo Zana of team Bardiani-CSF-Fiazane defended the yellow jersey for best rider of SAZKA Tour in the final stage of the race. The stage covering just under 175 kilometres from \u0160umperk to \u0160ternberk was won by Norwegian Tobias Halland Johannessen of UNO-X Pro Cycling Team ahead of Zana, and in third to the delight of Czech fans was Adam \u0164oupal\u00edk of Elkov Kasper. The best domestic rider in the overall standings was Jan Hirt (Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty-Gobert Mat\u00e9riaux) in seventh place.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The peloton faced a total of eight mountain premiums. It started with the well-known Jesen\u00edky climbs such as \u010cervenohorsk\u00e9 sedlo, Vidly, Lyra or Hv\u011bzda, and at the end the riders completed four scored premiums on Ecce Homo in the finish town of \u0160ternberk.
After the first mountain premium on Bratru\u0161ovsk\u00fd kopec, a quintet broke away from the main field consisting of New Zealander Jack Bauer, Daniel Turek, Dutchman Jen van den Dool, Serb Veljko Stojni\u010d and Pole Pawel Cieslik, with Belgian Jan Bakelants also joining them. The six-rider breakaway maintained almost the same gap of two and a half minutes, and it only started to shrink as the finish circuits near \u0160ternberk approached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the first circuit crossing, the breakaway was also neutralised and a group of 40 riders \u2014 including all the best in the standings \u2014 moved to the front. Elkov Kasper showed their strength in the finale, with Adam \u0164oupal\u00edk finishing third and Jakub Otruba, Michael Kukrle and Jan B\u00e1rta finishing sixth through eighth. Zana completed his successful mission on Czech roads, having also dominated the Under-23 Peace Race two months earlier.
In the approach to the final lap Kukrle attacked, but his small gap was closed by his rivals. At that moment the best pair went to the front at the finish, gained a few metres and held them all the way to the finish line, repeating the same order as Saturday’s stage on Dlouh\u00e9 str\u00e1n\u011b.
\u201eOn the way to \u0160ternberk it was quite windy, the pack was nervous, so the gap shrank quickly. On the first descent into \u0160ternberk we moved to the front and tried to save as much energy as possible. There were quite a few of us, so we kept attacking. First it was Honza B\u00e1rta who tried it and approaching the final lap Michael Kukrle \u2014 who had already won a stage here in 2018 \u2014 attacked and quickly gained a 15-second lead. In the end those two best riders came down and nobody could match them. The guys set me up brilliantly for the finale and it resulted in third place, just like last year,<\/em>” summed up the finale of the fourth stage of SAZKA Tour by third-placed Adam \u0164oupal\u00edk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although he finished highest among Czech riders in the overall standings, Jan Hirt showed no particular enthusiasm. \u201eI certainly didn’t come to the race wanting to be the best Czech. It’s a very beautiful race, I just needed better form. The placing isn’t that bad, but nor is it one I’d be particularly proud of,<\/em>” said Hirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stage 4: \u0160umperk \u2013 \u0160ternberk (174.1 km):<\/strong>
1. T. H. Johannessen (Nor.\/Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) 4:21:18, 2. Zana (It.\/Bardiani-CSF-Faizane) same time, 3. A. \u0164oupal\u00edk (Elkov Kasper), 4. Maas (Neth.\/Leopard Pro Cycling) both +4, 5. Gabburo (It.\/Bardiani-CSF-Faizane), 6. Otruba, 7. Kukrle, 8. J. B\u00e1rta (all Elkov Kasper) all +5, \u202615. Hirt (Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty-Gobert Mat\u00e9riaux) +9, 29. Neuman +1:54, 45. Zah\u00e1lka +3:43, 60. Petr Kelemen (all Elkov Kasper) +4:34, 72. M. Vacek (Gazprom \u2013 RusVelo), 73. Turek (Team Felbermayr \u2013 Simplon Wels) both +8:05.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final standings:<\/strong>
1. Zana 16:45:21, 2. T. H. Johannessen +15, 3. Taaramae (Est.\/Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty-Gobert Mat\u00e9riaux) +40, 4. Schultz (Austr.\/Team BikeExchange) +43, 5. Zoidl (Aut.\/Team Felbermayr \u2013 Simplon Wels) +1:04, 6. Covili (It.\/Bardiani-CSF-Faizane) +1:30, 7. Hirt +1:34, \u202612. Kukrle 2:27, 13. Otruba +2:44, 14. A. \u0164oupal\u00edk +2:50, 15. J. B\u00e1rta +3:59, 42. Zah\u00e1lka +22:41, 43. Turek +22:52, 44. Neuman +22:58, 51. Petr Kelemen +28:10, 75. M. Vacek +43:36.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The complete start list can be found under the “Teams” tab \/ Start list https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/tymy<\/a>
Results \/ Results https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/vysledky<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo credit “Jan Brychta \/ SAZKA Tour”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: SAZKA Tour<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Italian Zana takes the yellow jersey at SAZKA Tour, fastest on Dlouh\u00e9 str\u00e1n\u011b is Norwegian Johannessen<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Sad that he didn’t claim the stage win, pleased with moving to the top of the overall classification. That’s how the final metres could be experienced by Italian youngster Filippo Zana (Bardiani-CSF-Faizane) in the third stage of SAZKA Tour. In the closing metres he was overtaken on the climb to Dlouh\u00e9 str\u00e1n\u011b by Norwegian Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team). Of the Czechs, Jan Hirt (Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty-Gobert Mat\u00e9riaux) was again the best, crossing the line in seventh place \u2014 the same position he holds in the interim standings heading into the final stage.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the second time this year the organisers placed the stage finish on a climb, making it clear that climbers would be the stars. Right from the start after the beginning in Moravsk\u00e1 T\u0159ebov\u00e1, the riders set off on the just under 144 kilometres at a brisk pace. Attempts at a breakaway were frequent, but after the first major climb a group of six riders managed to escape, including Dominik Neuman (Elkov Kasper). And he was very active. On the mountain premiums at Horn\u00ed M\u011bsto and Sk\u0159\u00edtek he took two second places and actually won the only sprint premium, which earned him a podium place for the most combative rider of the stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the escapees never built a lead of even three minutes, and on the first climb to Dlouh\u00e9 str\u00e1n\u011b the peloton absorbed them. On the ten-kilometre climb a group of twenty riders crystallised at the front, including the Elkov Kasper trio of Adam \u0164oupal\u00edk, Michael Kukrle and Jakub Otruba, plus Hirt and other favourites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the second climb it looked promising for Kukrle, who was in a break with a pair of riders, but seven kilometres from the finish they were caught. Shortly afterwards the pair of Zana and Johannessen broke clear and fought for the win until the final metres. Approximately 500 metres before the finish Zana attacked, built a lead, and it seemed he was heading for a double at Dlouh\u00e9 str\u00e1n\u011b having won there two months earlier at the Under-23 Peace Race. But this time he ultimately didn’t succeed, as his rival overtook him with a superb finish on the steepest part of the climb, with Estonian Rein Taaramae (Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty-Gobert Mat\u00e9riaux) finishing third half a minute back. The yellow jersey-wearing Australian Nicholas Schultz (Team BikeExchange) finished fourth 40 seconds behind and dropped to the same position in the overall standings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quartet of riders from the best Czech team Elkov Kasper \u2014 Jakub Otruba, Michael Kukrle, Adam \u0164oupal\u00edk and Jan B\u00e1rta \u2014 arrived in the second ten and that’s also where they stand overall. \u201eI think from our perspective it was good. The four of us who are riding for the overall classification were there and we put in good performances. This year’s race is strictly for climbers and we simply aren’t that. Profile-wise it would suit Michal Schlegel, but he unfortunately isn’t here for known reasons. But the race doesn’t end until tomorrow in \u0160ternberk, and it can still be shaken up a lot, we aren’t giving up on anything,<\/em>” said fourteenth-placed Michal Otruba at the finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stage 3: Moravsk\u00e1 T\u0159ebov\u00e1 \u2013 Dlouh\u00e9 str\u00e1n\u011b (143.2 km):<\/strong>
1. T. H. Johannessen (Nor.\/Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) 3:48:41, 2. Zana (It.\/Bardiani-CSF-Faizane) +3, 3. Taaramae (Est.\/Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty-Gobert Mat\u00e9riaux) +29, 4. Schultz (Aust.\/Team BikeExchange) +40, 5. Zoidl (Aut.\/Team Felbermayr \u2013 Simplon Wels) +40, 6. Covili (It.\/Bardiani-CSF-Faizane) +53, 7. Hirt (Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty-Gobert Mat\u00e9riaux) +1:12, \u202614. Jakub Otruba +1:52, 16. Kukrle +1:52, 18. A. \u0164oupal\u00edk +2:22, 19. J. B\u00e1rta +2:22, 45. Zah\u00e1lka (all Elkov Kasper) +14:04, 49. Turek (Team Felbermayr \u2013 Simplon Wels) +14:04, 55. Neuman +14:04, 60. Petr Kelemen (both Elkov \u2013 Kasper) +16:12, 78. M. Vacek (Gazprom \u2013 RusVelo) +21:18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standings after stage 3:<\/strong>
1. Zana 12:24:09, 2. T. H. Johannessen +22, 3. Taaramae +29, 4. Schultz +30, 5. Zoidl +49, 6. Covili +1:05, 7. Hirt +1:19, \u202613. Kukrle +2:16, 15. Otruba +2:33, 16. A. \u0164oupal\u00edk +2:44, 18. B\u00e1rta +3:48, 33. Turek +14:47, 45. Zah\u00e1lka +18:52, 51. Neuman +20:58, 56. Petr Kelemen +23:30, 80. M. Vacek +35:25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The complete start list can be found under the “Teams” tab \/ Start list https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/tymy<\/a>
Results \/ Results https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/vysledky<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo credit “Jan Brychta \/ SAZKA Tour”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: SAZKA Tour<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nicholas Schultz (Team BikeExchange) first at Pustevny and leads overall too<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The first breakaway formed fairly quickly, consisting of Serb Veljko Stojni\u010d, David Per from Slovenia and Polish rider Sylwester Janiszewki. The last of them won the first sprint premium, but fairly soon couldn’t keep up with his two fellow escapees. The peloton let the break ride, even though their lead grew to five and a half minutes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Racing became more intense once the stage crossed into its second half. After the first passage through Pustevny, a duo from Norwegian team Uno-X Pro Cycling Team \u2014 Idar Andersen and Jonas Hvideberg \u2014 set off in pursuit of the leading pair and succeeded, while Per dropped away. But by then the peloton had also sped up, driven by riders from WorldTour teams Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty-Gobert Mat\u00e9riaux, Team BikeExchange and also the cyclists of Elkov Kasper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of the trio in front, Andersen couldn’t hold on, then neither could Stojni\u010d, and Hvideberg lasted the longest, but eight kilometres from the finish his effort also ended. The decision came on the second climb to Pustevny, where the front of the race split into virtually individual riders. Schultz had the most energy in the final hundreds of metres, arriving with a seven-second advantage over the winner of the recent Under-23 Peace Race, Italian Filippo Zana of Bardiani-CSF-Faizane, and Jan Hirt’s teammate Estonian Rein Taaramae. Of the Czech riders, Adam \u0164oupal\u00edk, Michael Kukrle, Jakub Otruba (all Elkov Kasper) and Daniel Turek (Team Felbermayr \u2013 Simplon Wels) finished in the second ten with a small deficit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201eWe had no special tactics. We wanted to attack individually, but our opponents wouldn’t let us into a break. I stayed up front together with Rein, but the best man won and that was Nicholas Schultz (Team BikeExchange). I haven’t raced much since the Giro and I always have a weaker second half of the season. But today was good. Of course we wanted to win, but the winner was stronger, the stage was decided by the final climb. We’ll see how things develop tomorrow,<\/em>” said Jan Hirt, who will wear the red jersey for best Czech rider into Saturday’s stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stage 2: Olomouc \u2013 Pustevny (203.4 km):<\/strong>
1. Schultz (Austr.\/Team BikeExchange) 5:00:28, 2. Zana (It.\/Bardiani-CSF-Faizane) +7, 3. Taaramae (Est.\/Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty-Gobert Mat\u00e9riaux) +10, 4. Hirt (Czech Republic\/Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty-Gobert Mat\u00e9riaux) +17, 5. Zoidl (Aut.\/Team Felbermayr \u2013 Simplon) +19, 6. Covili (It.\/Luca Bardiani-CSF-Faizane) +22, \u202611. A. \u0164oupal\u00edk +32, 13. Kukrle +34, 17. Otruba (all Elkov Kasper) +51, 18. Turek (Czech Republic\/Team Felbermayr \u2013 Simplon Wels) +53, 30. J. B\u00e1rta +1:36, 55. Zah\u00e1lka, 56. Petr Kelemen both +4:58, 68. Neuman (all Elkov Kasper) +7:04, 83. M. Vacek (Czech Republic\/Gazprom \u2013 RusVelo) +11:46.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standings after stage 2:<\/strong>
1. Schultz 8:35:18, 2. Zana +7, 3. Taaramae +10, 4. Hirt +17, 5. Zoidl +19, 6. Gabburo (It.\/Bardiani-CSF-Faizane) +22, \u202612. A. \u0164oupal\u00edk +32, 13. Kukrle +34, 16. Otruba +51, 18. Turek +53, 28. J. B\u00e1rta +1:36, 52. Zah\u00e1lka +4:58, 60. Neuman +7:04, 62. Petr Kelemen +7:28, 82. Vacek +14:17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The complete start list can be found under the “Teams” tab \/ Start list https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/tymy<\/a>
Results \/ Results https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/vysledky<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo credit “Jan Brychta \/ SAZKA Tour”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: SAZKA Tour<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First stage of SAZKA Tour for Huppertz<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

German rider Joshua Huppertz of Team Lotto \u2013 Kern Haus claimed victory in the opening stage of SAZKA Tour. It ran from Prost\u011bjov to Uni\u010dov and after 150.8 kilometres he beat Norwegian Idar Andersen of Uno-X Pro Cycling Team in an evenly matched sprint. The best of the Czech riders was Dominik Neuman (Elkov Kasper) in fifth place.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After seven kilometres from the start the riders returned to Prost\u011bjov, where there was the first sprint premium, won by Luxembourger Colin Heiderscheid with Petr Kelemen (Elkov Kasper) in third. Almost immediately afterwards the first breakaway formed and, as it turned out, this was the defining moment of the stage. In it were Huppertz, Andersen, German Tom Lindner, Adne Koster from the Netherlands and Pole Damien Papierski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The weather was certainly not favourable to the riders \u2014 it rained for practically the entire time, sometimes very heavily, and the thermometer showed a maximum of 15 degrees. The group built a lead of three and a half minutes. On the climb to the first mountain premium at Vesel\u00ed at the 105-kilometre mark, Koster and Papierski dropped away, but the remaining trio bravely held on. At the second mountain premium on Bouzov their lead shrank considerably \u2014 first to a minute, then to half a minute \u2014 and it seemed it was only a matter of time before they succumbed to the superiority of the peloton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But they kept fighting and nobody in the main field was keen to “pull”, so the small group managed to hold on all the way to the line. On the long finishing straight Lindner couldn’t match the pace, but the remaining pair sprinted to the very last metre and Huppertz was the happier one \u2014 he will wear the yellow jersey of race leader into the second stage. The main field was brought to the line by German Jonas Koch (Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty-Gobert) and immediately behind him was Neuman. Rounding out the top ten in seventh place was his teammate and Olympic athlete Michael Kukrle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201eI’m satisfied, except that the trio failed to hold off the chase, otherwise we would have been on the podium. Neuman was ninth here last year, today he finished second in the pack, and Kukrle was there with him. He showed himself to be in good shape after the long journey back from the Olympics,<\/em>” said Elkov Kasper coach Otakar Fiala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stage: Prost\u011bjov \u2013 Uni\u010dov (150.8 km):<\/strong>
1. Huppertz (Ger.\/Team Lotto \u2013 Kern Haus) 3:34:35, 2. Andersen (Nor.\/Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) same time, 3. Lindner (Ger.\/Metalltechnik) -1, 4. Koch (Ger.\/Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty-Gobert), 5. Neuman (Elkov \u2013 Kasper), 6. Urianstad (Nor.\/Uno-X Pro Cycling Team), 7. Kukrle, \u202636. A. \u0164oupal\u00edk, 38. B\u00e1rta, 55. Otruba (all Elkov Kasper), 56. Hirt (Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty-Gobert), 57. Turek (Team Felbermayr \u2013 Simplon Wels), 59. Zah\u00e1lka all +15, 74. Petr Kelemen (both Elkov Kasper) +2:46.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The complete start list can be found under the “Teams” tab \/ Start list https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/tymy<\/a>
Results \/ Results https:\/\/sazkatour.cz\/cs\/vysledky<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo credit “Jan Brychta \/ SAZKA Tour”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: SAZKA Tour<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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