{"id":205295,"date":"2026-05-07T08:24:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T08:24:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=205295"},"modified":"2026-05-07T08:26:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T08:26:57","slug":"why-im-riding-letape-czech-republic-as-my-first-road-cycling-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2026\/05\/07\/why-im-riding-letape-czech-republic-as-my-first-road-cycling-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I\u2019m Riding L’\u00c9tape Czech Republic as My First Road Cycling Race"},"content":{"rendered":"

I started thinking about doing a road race sometime last year. I\u2019ve never done a proper road race before, but over the past three years, I\u2019ve leaned into road cycling more than at any other point in my life. So, it felt like a natural next step to try something new. But what turned that thought into actually paying the entry fee for L\u2019\u00c9tape Czech Republic were three key reasons.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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A true road race experience<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve done some smaller local triathlon races that featured cross-country cycling, and I even completed a half-ironman where I rode my road bike. But those experiences were far from actual road cycling. The half-ironman, for example, was mostly flat, with only 500 meters of elevation over 90 km. And, crucially, no drafting was allowed. It felt more like riding alone.<\/p>\n

Signing up for L\u2019\u00c9tape is different. For those unfamiliar, L\u2019\u00c9tape is a series of amateur cycling races organisedby the same team behind the Tour de France, offering riders the chance to experience the thrill of a professional-style event. The Czech Republic\u2019s hilly stage I chose covers 100 km with 1,500 meters of elevation. Navigating a large peloton of 1,400 cyclists and taking advantage of the draft will be a big part of the race. But beyond the riding itself, L\u2019\u00c9tape is a spectacle, the biggest amateur race in Czechia, with so many cyclists in one place that it\u2019s bound to attract fans and create an electric atmosphere. That\u2019s what makes it so appealing to me: it\u2019s a chance to experience the dynamics of group riding and the buzz of a major event.<\/p>\n

A passion for the sport<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Over the past four years, I\u2019ve become deeply invested in watching road cycling. It started with the epic battles between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Poga\u010dar in the 2022 Tour de France. Then, the Netflix documentary Tour de France: Unchained<\/em><\/a> gave me a behind-the-scenes look at the strategy, tactics, and team dynamics that make the sport so fascinating. From there, I was hooked. I began watching all three Grand Tours, then one-week stage races, and eventually, the road classics. Now, I pretty much watch every road race that\u2019s on Eurosport.<\/p>\n

Getting a small taste of what it feels like to be in a race organised by the same team behind the Tour de France is exciting. It\u2019s not just about the physical challenge. It\u2019s about immersing myself in the culture and atmosphere of the sport I\u2019ve grown to love.<\/p>\n

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Zobrazit p\u0159\u00edsp\u011bvek na Instagramu<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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P\u0159\u00edsp\u011bvek sd\u00edlen\u00fd letapeczechrepublic (@letapeczechrepublic)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n