The eighth elite team. Soudal Quick-Step will also come to the Czech Tour

“The eighth world tour team on the Czech Tour, a complete fantasy for a Czech fan,” Czech Tour director Leopold König comments with satisfaction on another elite addition to the starting list. This year’s interest from the world’s best teams only confirms the growing international reputation of the most important Czech cycling company, last year the organizers welcomed three elite teams.

For Czech cycling fans, the Soudal Quick-Step team, nicknamed the Wolfpack, has an exceptional sound among the elite. No other stable has such a significant Czech footprint as Vlčí smečka: since 2010, the owner has been the Czech businessman Zdeněk Bakala, and since 2012, five Czech riders have replaced the team. In addition to the legendary amphibian Zdenek Štybar, also František Raboň, from the younger generation Petr Vakoč and the aforementioned Jan Hirt and Josef Černý.

“The Czech footprint is really very strong. At present, the great climber Jan Hirt and with him Josef Černý, previously such stars as Zdeněk Štybar and Petr Vakoč. And on top of that the stars of contemporary cycling such as Remco Evenepoel, Julian Alaphilippe or Tim Merlier,” Leopold König does not hide his enthusiasm.

The Belgian team has a reputation as a predator at the spring classics, to which Zdeněk Štybar also contributed with his triumphs. At the same time, the rich collection of his competitors also includes stage laurels and overall championships from Grand Tours races, world championship titles and triumphs from the Olympic Games.

Last year alone, the team recorded 55 victories, including a win at the oldest Monument Liège-Bastogne-Liège and six winning stages at the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta. It was Remco Evenepoel who dominated the Vuelta in his colors in 2022, and Jan Hirt shone in the same year with a stage triumph at the Giro and sixth place overall. Although Julian Alaphilippe has been waiting for a big result for some time, he still ranks among the top riders in contemporary cycling. And at the same time, he can boast of knowledge of Czech realities: in the beginning of his career, in 2013, he appeared at the Under-23 Riders’ Peace Race and at the Czech Tour, where Leopold König coincidentally robbed him of the overall victory.

Is there a chance that one of the stars of the Soudal Quick-Step team will appear at the Czech Tour this July? “We don’t know the specific line-up for the Czech Tour yet, but I believe that they will arrive with an exceptionally strong line-up. In addition, the Belgian team added other star teams such as UAE Emirates, Bahrain Victorious, Visma-Lease and Bike or Ineos Grenadiers. This year’s Czech Tour will be a truly extraordinary event, never seen before on Czech roads,” praises Leopold König.

The named elite stables are complemented by the Bora-hansgrohe, Intermarchíé-Wanty and DSM-Firmenich PostNL teams. And it is certain that the Lidl-Trek team will also have a representative. The development team Lidl-Trek Future Cycling will feature at the start, in whose colors the reigning Czech champion Mathias Vacek will ride. The elite Czech teams of ATT Investments with current time trial champion Jakub Otruba and Elkov Kasper will also be present.

In addition to the record participation of teams from the World Tour, the biggest Czech cycling event of the year reports other news. In addition to the new cities on the map of the race, there are first and foremost live broadcasts that Czech Television will bring to the ČT2 station from each stage.