The first edition of the Czech Tour to be held at UCI ProSeries level is now in the books. The strongest start list in the race’s history, three summit finishes, overall victory for 20-year-old Andrew August and some standout performances from the Czech riders delivered four days of top-class racing. Race director Leopold König rates this year’s edition as the strongest yet from a sporting perspective – and admits that the atmosphere along the roads once again made it an emotional experience.
Looking back at the Czech Tour 2026 purely from a sporting perspective, where would you rank this year’s edition?
The level of this year’s Czech Tour was the highest it has ever been, both in terms of the teams and the riders themselves. We had world-class teams here such as INEOS, NSN and Soudal Quick-Step, as well as big-name riders like Mikel Landa, Jordan Jegat, Jan Hirt and Andrew August. INEOS brought an incredibly stacked line-up. What more can you say?
Before the start, you also described this as the toughest route in Czech Tour history. Did the four days of racing live up to that billing?
I think it was one of the toughest editions we’ve ever had, perhaps the toughest of all. Mainly because of the three summit finishes. It’s not very common for us to have just one stage for the sprinters. As a result, we saw some serious selection on all three of those tough climbs, and I think the course really put the world-class peloton to the test.
After the final stage last year, you said the sight of the fans gave you goosebumps. Did you experience the same emotions this year?
Just like last year, I was emotional after every stage. Not only today at the finish, but after each of the stage finishes. The fans along the roads, the atmosphere… It was really, really emotional.
The Czech riders also put in some outstanding performances. Václav Ježek finished fourth in two stages, while Michal Schuran won the mountains classification. How do you rate their performances?
The Czech riders were absolutely outstanding. Václav Ježek finished fourth in two stages, we saw Michal Schuran in practically every breakaway and he thoroughly deserved to win the polka-dot jersey. I think both the individual Czech riders and the Czech teams can be very happy with the way they performed in this race.
Netcompany INEOS ultimately won the Czech Tour through Andrew August. Given the strength of their line-up, did you expect them to be the team setting the tone for the race?
It’s true that when I saw the INEOS start list, I expected them to be probably the strongest team here. They really did have the strongest line-up – and they proved it.
You are in daily contact with sports directors and team representatives throughout the race. What kind of feedback did you receive from them about this year’s Czech Tour?
That was the other thing that really moved me. After every stage, we received an incredible amount of praise. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
Unfortunately, this year’s race was also overshadowed by the tragic incident in Portugal, which directly affected the NSN team. How difficult was it to continue racing in those circumstances?
The tragic accident involving Finlay Tarling affected me deeply on a personal level, and it also directly affected two teams in our peloton – NSN and INEOS, where Finlay’s brother Joshua races. We paid our respects with a minute’s silence at the start in Pardubice. It was an incredibly emotional moment, and I don’t think there was much more we could have done.
We do everything we can to make safety the absolute priority, but I would once again like to appeal to everyone who is in any way involved with or affected by the race to follow the organisers’ instructions. We simply cannot have a situation where a car ends up on a closed race course.
The crowds around the Czech Tour seem to be growing every year. Do you feel the race is establishing an increasingly strong following among Czech fans?
The fans are a story in themselves. I’d say the numbers seem to double every year. After last year, I said I couldn’t imagine it getting any better, but once again I was surprised and blown away. It wasn’t just the incredible atmosphere at the summit finishes, but also the sheer number of fans lining the roads. There were thousands of people out there, just like you see at the biggest races in the world. A huge thank you to all the fans for their support and for sharing the Czech Tour experience with us.
Organising the Czech Tour is a huge undertaking. What would you like to say to everyone who helped make this year’s race happen?
An enormous number of people and organisations are involved in making the Czech Tour happen. I would like to thank our entire organising team and everyone involved in keeping the race safe – from the volunteers along the route and our motorcycle marshals to the police and medical teams – as well as our partners and sponsors. And, of course, a big thank you to the cities and regions involved, and to the National Sports Agency.
Foto: Barbora Reichová
