This year's Czech Tour stage race, which will take place from August 14th to 17th, marks the biggest change in the sixteen-year history of the Czech Republic‘s most important cycling event. The peloton will start in Prague for the first time, then visit Karlovy Vary and Pardubice, from where it will head to traditional locations in the Jeseníky and Beskydy Mountains. Teams from the elite World Tour category will once again line up at the start, with the Visma-Lease a Bike and Soudal Quick-Step teams already confirmed. This year, fans will find live coverage of each stage on both Czech Television and Eurosport.
This year, the Czech Tour organisers have made good on their promise of expanding the race beyond its traditional locations to other parts of the Czech Republic, including the capital. "For the first time, Prague will be included on the itinerary. From there, we will head west to Karlovy Vary and then will ride from Pardubice to Moravia, where the peloton will once again complete great mountain rides to Dlouhé Stráně and Pustevny," says Race President, Robert Kolář.
As last year, the final 90 minutes of each Czech Tour stage will be broadcast live on TV. This year's new feature is the inclusion of this coverage on the Eurosport channel, as well as on Czech Television. "Thanks to Eurosport, the Czech Tour will attract more attention around the world. This should also contribute to fulfilling our ambition of continuously climbing the UCI ratings and one day ending up a World Tour race," adds Robert Kolář.
The race can rely on the long-term support of a strong general partner Sazka: "We are pleased that the Czech Tour is moving forward every year. The fact that this year's race starts directly in the centre of Prague is, in our opinion, further proof that road cycling is gaining ever more attention in the Czech Republic. As general partner, we see its potential to reach a wide audience and bring this sport closer to those who have to date only paid the event marginal interest. The global Allwyn group, of which Sazka is a part, is also newly engaged in promoting the event - thanks to the international reach of the race and broadcasts abroad, it is a natural extension that underlines its growing ambitions. This year, we will focus primarily on fans, we want to offer them a new perspective on the race, to show them behind the scenes of the cyclists' performances, and to explain what the basic unit of road cycling - the watt - actually means. The Czech Tour remains an exceptional event for us, combining support for Czech sport with a modern and attractive experience for the public," says Dominika Němcová, Sazka's Sponsorship and CSR Manager.
Start on Vítězné náměstí (Victory Square)
Taking inspiration from the major international stage races, led by the Tour de France, the Czech Tour also includes a Wednesday opening ceremony in its program, which will take place in Prague. A day later, the cyclists will set off from Prague's Vítězné náměstí to Karlovy Vary. "We didn't want a classic sprint stage and thus created a route more for classic riders. The ride to Karlovy Vary will be quite demanding - technical and fast, with a number of short dynamic climbs," says Race Director Leopold König, commenting on the 163 km route with an elevation gain of 2,260 metres.
Iconic climbs and sprint rerun in Ostrava
The second stage will take the peloton from Pardubice to the famous climb of Dlouhé stráně, the competitors will cover a total of 170 km and climb 2,625 metres. "This will be the first big test of the riders for the overall standings. This time we have chosen a route around the lower reservoir, which will offer TV viewers a beautiful view of the competitors from the helicopter camera," says Leopold König.
The third stage will start in Prostějov, and after almost 150 km it will likely end with a mass sprint in Ostrava. "The third stage will be a “relaxing” stage. We really liked the finish in Ostrava last year, which is why we included a similar stage this year," said Leopold König recalling last year's dramatic conclusion, where Czech rider Pavel Bittner crossed the finish line second.
The Czech Tour should culminate in the fourth Queen stage from Kroměříž to Pustevny; it‘s 177 km long with an elevation gain of almost 3,000 metres. "The competitors will ride to Pustevny twice and we hope that this stage will decide the winner. Spectators on the track and on TV screens will witness the drama up to the very end," believes Leopold König.
Two elite Teams already confirmed in the peloton
The interest of big players in the Czech Tour is evidenced by the confirmed participation of the Visma-Lease a Bike team. Another important team, Soudal Quick-Step, has recently signed up alongside this cycling giant of the current peloton. "We try to plan the stages in a balanced way so that they are interesting for both world-class climbers and sprinters. And I think we have succeeded again. Visma-Lease a Bike and Soudal Quick-Step are among the best that contemporary cycling has to offer," says Leopold König.
The race management is in intensive talks with other World Tour teams. In addition to the elite license group, the Czech Tour organisers have confirmed the start of other teams from lower categories. Representatives of the best Czech Teams, Elkov-Kasper and ATT Investments, will again be present.
An extensive accompanying programme and for the first time, merch
This year's Czech Tour will also feature an extensive accompanying programme in the start and finish towns. This will include presentation of the teams before the start of each stage, and at the finish, fans can look forward to live music every day, in addition to activities for the whole family. "We have been inspired by the Grand Tour races; fans have something to look forward to," concludes Leopold König.
This year, fans can also cheer on the Czech Tour in style. The race organisers have launched the sale of original, premium-quality merch at www.czechtour.com.
For local cycling fans, the prelude to the Czech Tour will once again be provided by the U23 Peace Race. The twelfth annual duel of national teams full of young cycling hopefuls will take place in the Olomouc and Moravian-Silesian regions from May 29 to June 1.
Programme CZECH TOUR 2025
- Stage 1 – 14th August: Prague – Karlovy Vary (163 km/2,260 vertical metres)
- Stage 2 – 15th August: Pardubice – Dlouhé stráně (170 km/2,625 vertical metres)
- Stage 3 – 16th August: Prostějov – Ostrava (148 km/1,378 vertical metres)
- Stage 4 – 17th August: Kroměříž – Pustevny (177 km/2,983 vertical metres)
Total distance approx. 660 km, cumulative elevation gain 9,246 metres. Subject to change.
Teams confirmed for the CZECH TOUR 2025
WorldTour
- Visma Lease a Bike
- Soudal Quick-Step
Pro
- Equipo Kern Pharma
- Novo Nordisk
- Solution Tech – Vini Fantini
Continental
- ATT Investments
- Elkov-Kasper
- Benotti Berthold
- JCL Team UKYO
- Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe Rookies
- Vorarlberg
- United Shipping
Partners of the Czech Tour
- General partner: Sazka, a part of Allwyn
- Main partners: MND, OMV, NSA, Skupina ČEZ
- Official partners: Czech Tourism, Czech Cycling Federation, Bikero, BigBoard, Mafra, Billigence, Mattoni
- Official partner mobility: Škoda
- Main media partner: Seznam
- With support from: the Olomouc, Moravian-Silesian, Zlín, Pardubice, Karlovy Vary and Prague regions
