The Course de la Paix Junior starts this Thursday after a one-year break

Terezín/Litoměřice – the 49th edition of the Junior Pace Race, originally scheduled for 2020, will start on Thursday. Still affected by the pandemic, the race has been moved from spring to late August. We have also prepared some novelties for this year.
 
The best riders among the juniors are gathering in Terezín for the prestigious race. The start will be on the Peace square in Litoměřice and we will know the race winner in Terezín four days later. "This is exceptional edition in many ways. As one of the elite group of races in the Junior Nation's Cup, we have to keep the high standard of organization. I dare to say, that despite canceling last year's race, we are beck stronger and more attractive for the fans. Every year this costs me quite some gray hairs, but I think we are ready to write another chapter in the race history", says the race director Svatopluk Henke.
 
There will be 20 squads at the start, each six men strong, most of them being national  teams with one exception, a mixed Czech-German team "Euroregion". Almost 400 kilometers await the riders. The first stage, with a start and finish in Litoměřice, is also the longest, some 100 km. There are two GPMs on the way (Lovečkovice and Mukařov) and two intermediate sprints (Úštěk and Vědlice). the start is at 2 pm and the finish is expected just after 5 pm. For the first time ever the race will pass through the historical center of Úštěk, a sight to be looking for.

The second race day is traditionally reserved for two half stages, a 11km ITT in Třebenice in the morning, and a short road race stage in Štětí in the afternoon. On Saturday, the queen stage will bring the peloton from Teplice in the Czech Republic over the Ore Mountains to the German town of Olbernhau. The stage starts at 2pm, and the riders will climb to Cinovec for the first GPM. The second GPM will follow in Seiffen, already on the German side of the border.
 
"Except for the TT, we have modified all the stages this year. I hope the riders as well as the fans will like the new parts. Passing by the Fláje dam should be a nice sight on Saturday and another interesting addition is the historical part of Úštěk on Thursday. We hope these additions will make the race more attractive. All this would not be possible without the help of the Czech Police. I would like to thankl them for their cooperation, which makes organizing the race possible. ", comments the race director.
 
The last "Terezín" stage features four times the GPM in Pohořany, and can still change the race outcome. The finish is around 11 am and we are looking forward to see who of the 120 riders will care home the yellow jersey.
 
"I am glad to announce, that we have prepared a live broadcast of the race. There will be a large screen in the finish area, an online live stream (www.roadcycling.cz/zmj-live). This is completely a new thing for us and I am curious how it will work out. We know there might be problems with the signal in the mountains, but I still think it will be exciting to watch." adds Svatopluk Henke.