The Czech Tour stage race will climb a rung on the UCI ladder next season, joining the UCI ProSeries on August 13–16. Within three years, the organisers of the biggest professional race in the Czech Republic aim to complete the journey to cycling’s top tier, the WorldTour.
“This upgrade crowns the tremendous effort of our whole organising team over the past three years. I also want to thank our sponsors, led by Sazka and Allwyn – without their support, staging a race at this level wouldn’t be possible. I believe the Czech Tour’s increased prestige will help popularise cycling in our country and bring more kids into the sport,” said race president Robert Kolář.
By moving to the ProSeries, the Czech Tour joins a calendar where the sport’s biggest stars win throughout the year - think Jonas Vingegaard (overall at the Volta ao Algarve), Adam Yates (Tour of Oman), Mads Pedersen (Tour of Denmark) or Isaac Del Toro (Vuelta a Burgos). Other ProSeries fixtures include the Tour of the Alps, Deutschland Tour and Tour of Britain.
Milestone, not the finish line
A higher category is a bigger draw for elite teams thanks to stronger UCI ranking points – the key currency that often decides who stays among the best. For example, the overall winner of a 2.1 race earns 125 points; in a 2.Pro event it’s a straight 200. “That’s far from trivial. A ProSeries label gives us a much stronger hand with WorldTour teams. I’m confident this step will open the door a little wider to the very best squads and help us attract more of their stars,” said race director and former pro Leopold König.
The 18th edition of the Czech Tour is set for August 13-16, with the opening ceremony once again planned in Prague. From there, the peloton will head across the country; the exact stage designs are being finalised.
“I won’t reveal details yet, but we can promise routes that will be exciting for riders and fans alike. The Czech Tour will visit both traditional venues and new locations, and I believe the riders will again race in a fantastic atmosphere-like we saw this year in the dramatic finale on Pustevny,” König added.
For the organisers, the ProSeries promotion is a milestone, not the finish line. The long-term goal remains continued growth and a WorldTour slot. “We try to raise the bar every year. Over the past two seasons we’ve had live TV coverage; this year, thanks to Eurosport and the involvement of A.S.O., we reached screens around the world. In three years we want to apply for WorldTour status, so that in 2029 the Czech Republic can host a top-tier race,” said Robert Kolář.
