Emil Herzog became the winner of the 50th Course de la Paix Juniors

Terezín – It's conquered! The Course de la Paix Juniors has written the 50th anniversary this year. On the anniversary, the traditional May stages were dominated by the German representative Emil Herzog. The Czech national team was also present in the elite ten, who, thanks to Pavel Novák, are taking the final sixth position. However, this year's Junior Peace Race was again extraordinary in many ways, and during the war in Ukraine it once again recalled its important mission and idea, which the organizing team from CK Slavoj Terezín, led by race director Svatopluk Henke, has been trying to maintain for half a century.

"I know I'm repeating myself, but it's getting harder every year and it's such a small miracle that we still manage to hold the race, and really at the highest world level. I feel that we are no longer the youngest, but there are still many young people around us who help us with this. However, the police, representatives of individual cities and partners who stand by us and help us maintain this tradition play an important role. My sincere thanks go to everyone from those who are building barriers and standing at crossroads to those who are deciding and bringing in essential funds! Without enthusiasts, it would be difficult to put the jubilee year together, " said Svatopluk Henke, director of the Course de la Paix Juniors, just a moment after the final stage in Terezín.

Exactly 111 cyclists from 19 teams and 18 countries started the jubilee 50th year on Thursday, May 5, at Mírové náměstí in Litoměřice. After eleven years, even a team from Portugal arrived, and certainly not just in numbers. There was also a strong and balanced Czech team, led by coach Tomáš Konečný. In the end, even he did not leave without a medal. "There were again many exceptional names at the start, which cycling fans will undoubtedly hear about one more time. The Junior Peace Race is a springboard for young riders into the world of great cycling, and after this year's performances and tensions that such young riders have been able to create, I have no doubt about that, " aid Patrik Pátek, the press spokesman for the peloton.

The winner of the introductory stage was Mathieu Kockelmann from Luxembourg, who, after hundreds of kilometers, brought the entire main field to Litoměřice Mírové náměstí and literally "grabbed" his victory on the tape. "I am very happy because I had some health problems at the beginning of the season. A week before the Peace Race, I finished another race just below the podium and I wondered how bad luck was sticking to my heels. I was very disappointed and suddenly I win the first stage of the Peace Race. After all, it's an incredible feeling of happiness and joy, " shone Mathieu Kockelmann, the victorious Luxembourger at the finish, who immediately dressed in a yellow jersey. He managed to keep it a little surprisingly even after Friday morning's individual time trial in Třebenice. Friday is traditionally divided into two half stages. And just in the morning, the Luxembourg national team once again won the battle with the chronometer, when it defeated the "paper" German leader Emil Herzog, somewhat surprisingly. The two riders on the eleven-kilometer track leading around the ruins of Hazmburk Castle were only three seconds apart. Bronze was taken by Estonian Romet Pajur. "I would not believe that I would wear a yellow even after a time trial. Especially in such competition and next to Emil - it's a surprise to me. Now I will especially try to keep the yellower and I believe that the whole team will do our best. After all, he is my first yellow man in my life and I want to really enjoy him, " said the current leader Kockelmann enthusiastically at the finish of the time trial, for whom the afternoon flat 60-kilometer stage in Štětí was waiting. However, the finish was marked by several falls, as the entire starting field rushed to the finish line together. The mass spurt was controlled by the Estonian Romet Pajur, who left behind the Belgian Vlad van Mechelen and Nor Oliver Aukland. "It was a very difficult run, but the most difficult thing about it was the nervousness that was in the peloton. Everyone felt the opportunity, and thanks to that, several falls occurred. But my legs are going great and today they brought in gold, " said the winner of the 2nd stage, Estonian Romet Pajur, satisfied.

It was a very difficult weekend in front of the peloton at that moment. Saturday's 3rd stage from Teplice to Olbernhau, Germany, with its 122 kilometers and heavy profile with three mountaineering premiums at Cínovec, Mníšek and Seiffen, is deservedly referred to as "Queens". And this is where the bread of this year's 50th was broken. Challenging peloton climbs began to divide with the first hill. A lone four-member group eventually arrived in Olbernhau, Germany, brought in by the Dutch representative Menno Huising. Emil Herzog, a German, was the second and current silver medalist in the quartet. Thanks to that, he dressed in the yellow jersey of the race leader. The Portuguese Antonio Morgado took bronze in Germany. "In the previous stage, I fell and lost contact with the front of the race. I said to myself that nothing really could go wrong and I wanted to fix my taste, despite my sore knee. The Peace Race is a very beautiful race. It rained terribly here last year, but this year I really enjoyed it, " said satisfied Menno Huising, the winner of the 3rd stage in Olbernhau.

The Course de la Paix Juniors has its traditional finish in Terezín. The story of the fight for the yellow jersey was written here after the quartet of mountaineering bonuses over Litoměřice and the final almost hundreds of kilometers. These were concluded by the Italian express Federico Savino, who arrived at the finish line with a four-second lead with the Czech representative Milan Kadlec. In the main field behind them, which was brought to the bronze medal by the Estonian Romet Pajur, they were also chased by Emil Herzog in yellow, who could already celebrate the final overall championship of the 50th anniversary of the Course de la Paix Juniors.

So what about Czech competitors? They did a great job all the time and showed that they had to be reckoned with. They were always part of the main field and attacked. Milan Kadlec took care of the imaginary icing on the cake until the end. He was also the best in the 1st stage, when he was eighteenth in the mass race and Pavel Novák and Martin Bárta were right behind him. Pavel Novák set the time trial in the elite five. He was also the best Czech in the finish of the stage in Štětí. Martin Bárta lost less than two minutes to the winning Dutchman Huising in the thirteenth place. And it was Milan Kadlec who made the Czech fans happy, who successfully escaped with the Italian Savin in the final stage and won a nice silver medal. "Last year I finished third, this year second, it is a pity that I will not be here with such a trend next year," smiled the silver Milan Kadlec, who was always watched by the father of the same name and also a rich racing career. "I think I made him happy. We missed the victory here, but we worked great as a team. The Course de la Paix Juniors is the most prestigious race in the Czech Republic, so I am glad that I also enjoyed the silver, "concluded the Czech national team representative Milan Kadlec.

The name of the overall German winner Emil Herzog will be immortalized in the historical tables at the 50th year. In the final place, the Portuguese Antonio Morgado and Nor Jorgen Nordhagen finished behind him. The best Czech rider was the sixth Pavel Novák. Emil Herzog is the seventh German representative in Course de la Paix Juniors' 50-year history to master the traditional May stages. "I'm really happy and I'm really enjoying it. For me, the Course de la Paix Juniors is a big concept. It has a deep tradition and is also part of the Nations Cup. There is nothing better for juniors in the world. I admit that it was actually fun - the very hill up and challenging downhill runs - thanks to them it wasn't really fun, but I like it so much and I really enjoyed it. I finished better than last year and won the stage whose bar is really the highest in the world, " said the German representative Emil Herzog, praising the organizing team from CK Slavoj Terezín around the race director Svatopluk Henke.

Overall results:

1. Emil Herzog (GER) 7:10:20

2. Antonio Morgado (POR) +0:29

3. Jorgen Nordhagen (NOR) +0:35

4. Mathieu Kockelmann (LUX) +1:49

5. Kristian Egholm (DEN) +2:23

6. Pavel Novák (CZE) +2:25