Kockelmann from Luxembourg won the first stage of the Course de la Paix Juniors

Litoměřice - Luxembourg champion Mathieu Kockelmann dominated in the opening stage of the 50th anniversary year of the ZMJ. The Luxembourger racer brought the entire main peloton to Litoměřice Square, Czech representatives were also present. "I am very happy because I had some health problems in the beginning of the season. Last week I finished the race just below the podium and I was thinking how bad luck sticks to me. I was very disappointed and suddenly I win the first stage of the Race. It is after all, an incredible feeling of happiness and joy," said the winning Luxembourger Mathieu Kockelmann, who literally decided on his victory on the final tape.

The 1st stage of the ZMJ traditionally started in Litoměřice, where cyclists also finished after more than a hundred kilometers. Peloton had to deal with a very rugged route, which was also waiting for a pair of GPM in Lovečkovice and Mukařov and as well as a pair of speed bonuses in Úštěk and Vědlice. The course further complicated by rain. Despite this, the juniors still drove very fast and actively. The field was divided into several larger groups. Mathieu Kockelmann, the reigning champion of Luxembourg, brought the main one to the finish line. But the home racers were also active. They were finally part of the main a fifty-headed group. The best of them Milan Kadlec was eighteenth, followed by Pavel Novák and Martin Bárta. "Nobody knows how was the first stage develope. We knew we must not make a mistake and we had to keep an eye on the foreheads. For a while it was wet, but it was still very fast, even on the downhills. The stage was overall very challenging, but we managed it according to plan and I just hope that in the coming days it will be better, " said the best Czech national rider Milan Kadlec, who was last year at ZMJ the best czech representative of the overall classification.

On the second day of the event, on Friday, there are traditionally two stages. As first will be eleven-kilometer morning time trial individuals in Třebenice and the second one will be half-stage from 4 pm in the afternoon with more flat profile for almost sixty kilometers with the start and finish in the city of Štětí.

Results - 1st stage (Litoměřice, 102.8 km):

1. Mathieu Kockelmann (LUX) 2:36:14

2. Frederik Lykke (DEN)

3. António Morgado (POR)

4. Dario Igor Belletta (ITA)

5. Vlad van Mechelen (BEL)

18. Milan Kadlec (CZE)

19. Pavel Novák (CZE)

20. Martin Bárta (CZE) – all in the same time