Junior Peace Race Enters the Mountains. Stage from Teplice to Olbernhau to Test the Favourites and the Peloton

The third day of the Junior Peace Race will bring the toughest profile of this year’s edition. Saturday’s stage from Teplice to the German town of Olbernhau will take the junior peloton into the Ore Mountains, where the character of the race will change significantly. After the opening faster stages, the riders now face the first true climbing test of this year’s race.

Date: Saturday, 09 May 2026 – 14:00
Stage 3: Road Race Teplice - Olbernhau (GER)
Start: náměstí Svobody, Teplice
Finish: Thomas-Mann-Strasse, Olbernhau (GER)
Race Distance: 112.1 km
GPM: 2
Intermediate Sprint: 2

The Climbing Begins Soon After the Start

The stage will begin at 14:00 with a neutralised start from náměstí Svobody in Teplice, while the official start will follow three minutes later on Road I/13. The opening section of the route should still offer a faster tempo towards Duchcov and Dubí, where two intermediate sprints are scheduled.

However, shortly after Dubí, the profile will begin to change dramatically. The route gradually climbs towards Cínovec, where the first mountain prime is located at kilometre 31.8 at an altitude of almost 850 metres above sea level. The first major selection and splits into smaller groups can already be expected at this point.

The Ore Mountains Will Test Pacing and Technical Skills

After passing through Cínovec, the race enters a long mountain section leading through Vitiška, Mikulov, Nové Město, Moldava, Fláje, Klíny, Mníšek and Nová Ves v Horách. The exposed mountain terrain traditionally forces teams to race aggressively long before the finish while offering very little opportunity for recovery throughout the stage.

The difficulty of the profile lies not only in the length of the climbs, but above all in the constant changes of rhythm. Technical descents followed immediately by further climbs often cause the field to gradually split apart, with time gaps between the favourites increasing in small but significant increments.

Kalek Often Becomes the Scene of Decisive Attacks

An important role could be played by the second mountain prime in Kalek at kilometre 91.7. This section of the stage has often been the point where the strongest climbers begin to separate definitively from the rest of the field.

After nearly ninety kilometres in demanding terrain, the race is usually already heavily reduced, with the main favourites frequently setting the pace at the front. The route then takes the peloton across the Kalek/Rübenau border crossing into Germany.

Fast Descent into Olbernhau

The final kilometres towards Olbernhau consist largely of a technical descent that could still influence the outcome of the stage. After the demanding mountain section, the time gaps between the leading contenders are often minimal, and the ability to handle high-speed sections under pressure may prove decisive.

The finish on Thomas-Mann-Strasse is expected between 16:43 and 17:00 depending on the average race speed.

Saturday’s stage also represents the first major moment when the overall standings of the Junior Peace Race may begin to take shape. The mountain roads of the Ore Mountains will test not only the riders’ physical condition, but also their ability to manage one of the most tactically and technically demanding days of this year’s race.