One Second Decided the Winner of the 54th Course de la Paix Juniors

The 54th edition of the Course de la Paix Juniors delivered four days of dramatic racing, strong international competition and standout individual performances across all classifications. In the end, just one second decided the winner of this year’s race.

The battle for the overall classification was decided on the final day

Italy’s Patrik Pezzo Rosola won the 54th Course de la Paix Juniors after one of the closest battles for the general classification in recent years. The Italian rider secured overall victory by just one second ahead of Denmark’s Malthe Risbjerg, completing a dramatic four-day race in Terezín.

The 2026 edition brought several major shifts in the development of the race. Brandon Fedrizzi gave Italy its first yellow jersey after the opening stage before Malthe Risbjerg moved into the overall lead following victory in the individual time trial in Třebívlice. The Danish rider also managed to retain the yellow jersey after Stage 2b, but the decisive moment came in the queen stage to Olbernhau, where Patrik Pezzo Rosola claimed victory and moved into the race lead.

Even after the queen stage, the race remained far from decided. Pezzo Rosola entered the final day holding only a minimal advantage, while Risbjerg and Julius Birkedal kept Denmark firmly in contention for the overall podium. In the final classification, just one second separated Pezzo Rosola and Risbjerg, while Birkedal completed the podium in third place.

Italy controlled the race throughout the week

Italy was the dominant nation throughout the entire race week. Italian riders won three stages, claimed the overall classification and regularly featured at the front of the main competitions. Fedrizzi, who wore the first yellow jersey of the race, also won both the points and sprint classifications, underlining the strength and depth of the Italian team.

Alongside Pezzo Rosola’s overall triumph, Tommaso Cingolani added another Italian stage victory, while Italian riders remained highly visible across different types of stages and classifications throughout the race.

Czech victory delivered an emotional finale in Terezín

The final stage brought a strong home moment for Czech fans. Daniel Kuběna won the concluding stage in Terezín, giving the home crowd a Czech victory on the final day of the race. After four days of international competition and a tight battle for the overall classification, the 54th edition concluded with a memorable home performance in the symbolic finale of the race.

Final jersey standings highlighted the international quality of the race

The final classification standings underlined the international quality of this year’s edition.

Pezzo Rosola claimed the yellow jersey as winner of the general classification, while Fedrizzi secured both the white and green jerseys. France’s Soen Le Pann won the mountains classification in the polka-dot jersey, and Dutch rider Jop van den Biggelaar became the best young rider in the blue jersey.

Across four days of racing, the 54th Course de la Paix Juniors once again confirmed its place among the most important events on the international junior cycling calendar. The 2026 edition combined a dramatic battle for the general classification decided by just one second, Italian dominance across the classifications and a home victory in Terezín — everything a high-quality stage race should deliver.