American Riley Sheehan of the NSN Cycling Team won the first stage of the 18th Czech Tour, which is included in the prestigious UCI ProSeries category for the first time in history. In a bunch sprint finishing the 163-kilometer route from Prague to Karlovy Vary, he outsprinted Ben Turner of Netcompany INEOS. Sheehan thus put on the yellow jersey for the overall leader.
The race started before noon at Prague's Vítězné náměstí. After less than ten kilometers, the official start took place in Hostivice under the supervision of race director Leopold König, a two-time Czech Tour champion. The cyclists had to tackle over two thousand meters of elevation gain along the route, including three second-category mountain primes: Roztoky, Tis u Blatna, and Javorná.
Attacks began early in the race, with Czech riders Martin Voltr, Josef Černý, and Michal Schuran launching a breakaway. Schuran, riding for Team United Shipping, was particularly active. He won one of the intermediate sprints as well as a categorized climb, deservedly earning the Most Aggressive Rider award after the stage.
However, the peloton controlled the situation throughout the day. The pace was primarily dictated by the star-studded Netcompany INEOS squad, supported by NSN and Modern Adventure. The winner was decided in a fast and technical finish along the banks of the Teplá River in Karlovy Vary. American Riley Sheehan proved to have the strongest legs, leaving even the favored Ben Turner behind.
"We were counting on a final sprint. We knew we would catch the breakaway. I felt great," said stage winner Sheehan immediately after the finish. "I remember well how tricky the finish was last year, so we paid close attention. I have a phenomenal team, we played our cards really well, I was perfectly positioned, and I just had to execute a good sprint. This is the third victory of my career, and it means a lot to me," Sheehan added.
Thanks to his active riding, Dutchman Pepijn Reinderink of Soudal Quick-Step will wear the polka-dot jersey for best climber. On Friday, the peloton faces its first mountain test with a stage from Mladá Boleslav featuring a tough summit finish on Ještěd.
The 18th edition of the Czech Tour is exceptional for its difficulty—nearly 650 kilometers and almost 10,000 meters of elevation gain make it the toughest route in the event's history. A total of 18 teams gathered at the start line, including three elite WorldTour squads (Soudal Quick-Step, Netcompany INEOS, and NSN Cycling Team).
Jersey Holders After Stage 1
- Yellow Jersey (Overall Leader): Riley Sheehan (NSN)
- Green Jersey (Points Classification): Riley Sheehan (NSN)
- Polka-Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains): Pepijn Reinderink (Soudal Quick-Step)
- White Jersey (Best Young Rider): Romet Pajur (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies)
- Red Jersey (Best Czech Rider): Dominik Neuman (ATT Investments)
- Most Aggressive Rider: Michal Schuran (Team United Shipping)
Photos: Jan Brychta, Markéta Navrátilová, Barbora Reichová
