Current and future champions will start at the 50th Course de la Paix Juniors

Litoměřice / Terezín - Exactly 111 will start the 50th anniversary of the Course de la Paix [or in the czech short ZMJ] competitors from 19 teams from 18 countries. At the start of the introductory stage on Thursday on Litoměřice Square there will also be nine Czech representatives and future names for the "big" world cycling. Coach Tomáš Konečný will lead the six representatives in the jersey with the Czech tricolor, former elite racer. Six competitors who entered the national team are Štěpán Telecký (1), Pavel Novák (2), Milan Kadlec (3), Martin Bárta (4), Tomáš Přidal (5) and Daniel Mraz (6). Most of the participants atmosphere of ZMJ experienced already last year in which for example Milan Kadlec, son of the former excellent cyclist in Prague's Dukla, started as a European champion in scoring on the truck. In the final evaluation was in the end, also the best Czech national team member and the fourth best "cathegory freshman" when he lost less than two and half minutes in 15th place for the winning Norwegian Hagenes. Now together with five colleagues, four challenging days await on rugged roads in northern Bohemia and Germany Saxony, which is not very different from last year's profile. "We are going to the race with a clear goal, to win. It's our home race in which the boys will want to show off. Plus, we have the most balanced team we have ever had, so we will definitely want to "play the first violin". We have to create a race for that, "the national team coach Tomas Konecny does not hide the ambitions of the Czech national team.In addition, the national team will be complemented by three home fighters in mixed Czech - German team of the Euroregion, for which the organizers from the Slavoj Terezín negotiated again an exception. The team will feature Richard Kobr (100), Jan Lukeš (101), Vojtěch Církva (102). As already coach Konečný pointed out, Czech riders do not set low goals. "Štěpán Telecký with Pavel Novakem are excellent timekeepers and therefore the main adepts and leaders for me. A captain who has a feeling for the race, is Milan Kadlec. He is an excellent racer and even a black horse, he has a little limit in the time trial, however, he can easily escape and shine. As well as others like Mraz, Pridal or even the youngest Martin Bárta. Everyone can surprise. But it will be important for us to start well, because as history has shown to us, the 1st stage must not be underestimated. The winner must be in the front. We will go nicely day by day and the main thing will be after the time trial, "is aware of important moments Tomáš Konečný, who knows that the Course de la Paix Juniors can competitors catapult into the world of great cycling. An example is the two-time winner in recent years Tour de France from 2020 and 2021 Slovenian Tadej Pogačar or Belgian Remco Evenepoel, who became the youngest racer of the professional series a year after his victory at ZMJ (2018) UCI World Tour when he signed a contract with the Deceuninck-Quick-Step team.

Once again, there will be interesting names at the start. Among the starters is the acting junio r world champion on the track. During the September championship in Egypt, gold in the elimination race won by Italian Dario Igor Belletta. His felolow countryman Alessio Delle Vedove was part of the silver medal poursuit team. With the number 86, last year's second man of the overall classification will start German Emil Herzog, who was only 10 seconds behind the winner. As well in the starting line is last year second-best "young rider" Belgian Vlad van Mechelen, who was classified as a seventh. The historically first Serbian stage winner Mihajlo Stolic is also present. This year's 50th anniversary of the ZMJ will start on Thursday at 2:40 p.m. on Litoměřice Mírové náměstí and ends after almost four hundred kilometers and four stages by Sunday finish in Terezín. This year, viewers will be able to watch it live stream again.

50th year - Course de la Paix Juniros 2022 - facts and figures:

Organizer: CK Slavoj Terezín

Date: 5 May - 8 May 2022

Race director: Mgr. Svatopluk Henke

Track commander: Jan Sedlák

Main judge: Tarran Willi (GBR)

Total length: 389.1 km

Budget: CZK 2.7 million

Under the auspices of the Governor of the Ústí Region Ing. Jan Schiller.

Honorary director of the race - Mgr. Jaromír Kníže, director of the Ústí Region police

Patron of the race - Gustav-Adolf Schur, honorary member of CK Slavoj Terezín.

Main partner: SAZKA a.s.

Partners: AŽD, Starmon, Monzas, Czech Cycling Federation, K+P stavební výroba, Vars, Cross, Changroup, Mondi, SBS Cargo, Tiskárna Cyklos Š + Š, Cyklostar, Iveco bus, Groceries Krátký, Sanilit. Media partners: ČT, ČT Sport, Deník, Czech Radio, TV Litoměřicka, PatRESS.cz, Litoměřicko24, Techniserv IT, Roadcycling.cz,

Stage | Date | Start - Finish |Place | Type | Km

1. | 5. 5. | 14.40 - 17.15 | Litoměřice | road race | 102.8 km

2.a | 6. 5. | 9.00 - 12.00 | Třebenice | indvidual time trial | 11.2 km

2.b | 6. 5. | 16.00 - 17.20 | Štětí | road race | 57.0 km

3. | 7. 5 .. | 14.00 - 17.15 | Teplice - Olbernhau | road race | 121.7 km

4. | 8. 5. | 9.00 - 11.20 | Terezín | road race | 96.4 km

In total of 389.1 km
 

Foreign teams: Confirmed 19 six-member teams representing the country: Czech Republic, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Sweden, France, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, Estonia, Latvia

Czech participation: For the sixth time in a row, the UCI enabled the start of the Euroregion mixed team. He will start the race six Czech riders led by coach Tomáš Konečný and three competitors in the Czech German Euroregion team.