For the first time since its creation in 2017, Team Bahrain Victorious will take part in the Czech Tour, a four-day stage race taking place from 25th to 28th July this year. The race, formerly called the SAZKA Tour, began in 2009 and has grown into the most prestigious international road cycling event in the Czech Republic. Part of the 1st category of the UCI Europe Tour since 2015, the race showcases the beauty and, above all, the difficulty of the Czech landscape. This year’s course covers almost 600 kilometres and a cumulative elevation change of 9,000 metres, including the famous climbs to Pustevný in Beskidy and Drowhé Straně in Jeseníky.
With its demanding course and world-class competitors, the event consistently attracts top riders, with eight WorldTour teams fielded in 2024. Sports Director Enrico Poitschke outlined the team’s plans and goals:
“It will be a tough race with a great starting list, but we will still be riding for stage wins. As for the GC, we have young Finley Pickering, who is the GC leader. After good results in the Tour de Suisse and at the national championships, he is highly motivated to get back into the race in this important role. Overall, with two stages that end in a sprint and two mountain finishes, we have the potential to fight for the win on any stage.”
Finley will first focus on stage 2 (Zlín – Puševni, 172.7km), a tough day for the GC with two tough 7.7km climbs to the finish. He is also targeting stage 3 (139.4km from Moravská Trzebova), the so-called “queen stage”, which features another iconic climb, the 12.3km Drouhé Stranje with an average gradient of 6.7%. In addition to the team’s GC ambitions, we also have strong contenders on the two flat stages: S1 (Prostéjov – Ostrava, 151.3km) and S4 (Šumperk – Šternberk, 129.2km). Dušan Lajović, Nicolò Buratti and Alberto Bruttomesso are all capable of fighting for the win.
“In that respect, I think we can achieve good results in the sprint stages,” explains Poitschke. “We not only have fast riders, but also Lukas Wisniowski and Cameron Scott, who are in charge of the lead-out, both of whom are very good at it. Ahmed Madan will be back in the races and will support his teammates. It’s never easy after a long break without racing, but I hope that the riders will be fit and motivated to start the second half of the season with good results.”
