Ridolfo leads by example and makes the break for TNN

Sometimes one objective is better than two — for clarity and for execution. After the lessons of stage two, Team Novo Nordisk arrived at the start in Pardubice with a single, clear goal: get in the breakaway. The message was heard loud and clear, and it was captain Filippo Ridolfo who delivered, escaping with five others in the opening kilometres of the longest and most demanding stage of the 2026 Czech Tour.

The 170.9km stage from Pardubice to Dlouhé stráně followed a similar path to the previous day’s route, but with the final climb — 13.2 kilometres at 5.4% — providing a longer and more consistent test than Ještěd, with gradients increasing towards a technical and punishing finale.  Racing took place in sweltering conditions, with temperatures reaching 32 degrees Celsius across the Bohemian and Moravian countryside.

Racing was aggressive from the gun, with multiple teams throwing riders at the front without success. Catalan climber David Lozano tried repeatedly to animate the early racing before Ridolfo and five others seized their moment out of the first feed zone.

The break held close to two minutes for over 100km, providing Team Novo Nordisk with exactly the visibility and platform they had been targeting. “My group went after 35km of racing — straight through the first feed zone there was a small kicker and the move went there,” explained Ridolfo. “I was switched on and I think I was the fifth rider to make it.”

The escapees were eventually reeled in at the base of the final climb as the GC contenders took over and battled it out for the stage honours. But for Team Novo Nordisk, the day’s work had already been done. “It’s massively important for us to get up the road and show our jersey, share our message and get people talking about what Team Novo Nordisk is all about,” said Ridolfo. “In a hilly race like the Czech Tour the breakaway is the best place for us to do that.”

With one stage remaining, Sunday’s finale runs 160.2km from Kroměříž to the summit of Pustevny with 2,442 metres of climbing — another demanding day in the mountains of Moravia and one final opportunity for the team to make their mark before the race concludes.