More attractive, more watched, more prestigious! Czech Tour, the biggest stage race on the Czech cycling calendar, is set for a major step up. The 18th edition of the race has been included in the UCI ProSeries. What does that mean for this long-standing event?
When Czech Tour takes place from 13 to 16 August, fans can look forward to a far more varied and attractive start list. UCI ProSeries is a huge upgrade for the race. It is the second-highest level of professional road racing under the umbrella of the International Cycling Union (UCI). Only WorldTour events sit above it.
The UCI ProSeries “family” includes races such as the Tour of Britain, Deutschland Tour, Tour de Romandie, Vuelta a Andalucía and Tour of Oman. Czech Tour has therefore moved into a more exclusive group of events that many teams treat as a priority. The sporting level will be significantly higher.
Until now, the overall winner earned 125 UCI points at Czech Tour; under the new status, that rises to 200 points. Stage wins and other classifications will also be more valuable. As a result, teams fighting to gain – or keep – a place among the sport’s elite have a strong incentive not to miss the Czech Tour start line.
For teams holding a UCI ProTeam licence, an event like this can be a real prize. The rapidly evolving peloton means that a strong points haul over a season can help secure invitations to the biggest races. A good example is the Spanish team Caja Rural–Seguros RGA, which has benefited from its high position in the UCI Pro ranking with invitations to major events such as the Tour de France and top one-day races like Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
While UCI ProSeries races are not mandatory for WorldTour teams, their calendar planning, points strategy and Grand Tour preparation naturally make events like Czech Tour more attractive than lower-tier 2.1 stage races.
A stronger field also brings greater attention, higher viewership and increased media value. Participation has already been confirmed by NSN Cycling (formerly Israel–Premier Tech), a team owned by a company linked to football star Andrés Iniesta. Also confirmed are Bardiani CSF 7 Saber, Burgos Burpellet BH, and Solution Tech Nippo Rali. A new American squad, Modern Adventure, associated with former top pro George Hincapie, will also race in the heart of Europe.
Czech Tour 2026 will start on 13 August in Prague. The organisers say it will be the toughest edition in the race’s history, with the full route to be presented in the coming weeks.
Photo: Jan Brychta
