Czech Tour gets tough as stage two hits the climb up to Ještěd

The first mountain stage of the Czech Tour delivered a harsh reality check to the peloton as the race headed north from Mladá Boleslav to the iconic summit of Ještěd — and for Team Novo Nordisk, it was a day to dig deep and look ahead with renewed purpose.

The 155km stage was mainly flat for the opening 100km before kicking up sharply for the final 55km, with back-to-back categorised climbs culminating in the 15km ascent to Ještěd at 4.1% average.  While the overall gradient may not appear severe on paper, the climb is deceptive — its second half contains several steeper sections, with the final two kilometres averaging 7%,  and it was there that the race truly came alive.

A four-rider breakaway formed early and built a gap of nearly three minutes, surviving over the penultimate climb before the peloton began to assert control on the lower slopes of Ještěd. Antonio Polga and Sam Brand represented Team Novo Nordisk at the summit, finishing together after a demanding day in the saddle.

“Our goals at the start of the stage were loftier than where we ended up,” said Head Sports Director Massimo Podenzana. “The road told the story today and I can’t be angry with the guys — they tried their best, but the last climb was where we paid the price. We wanted to protect Antonio until as late in the stage as possible, but the pace on the long final climb was too much and we ended up losing three minutes.”

Looking ahead with clear-eyed determination, Podenzana outlined the revised plan for the closing two stages. “Now the goal is the breakaway and trying to show ourselves as much as possible over the next two days,” he said. Stage three on Saturday runs 170.9km from Pardubice to Dlouhé stráně with 2,670 metres of climbing,  before the race concludes on Sunday with the summit finish at Pustevny.