The first ever 'L’Etape by Tour de France' race comes to the Czech Republic

The L’Etape Czech Republic by Tour de France will take place on Saturday, August 28. Originally scheduled for June 5, but delayed by three months by the coronavirus pandemic restrictions, the event promises to recreate the atmosphere of the famous Tour de France – with Czech scenery.

This is the first time the L’Etape by Tour de France event will take place in the Czech Republic. Over the last ten years, L’Etape by Tour de France events have taken place in France, Britain, Spain, Switzerland and Australia, where they offer local cyclists the chance to enjoy the excitement and atmosphere of the world-renowned French cycling race.

“The start of the race will be in Prague, and the route will lead to some of the most beautiful locations in the Central Bohemian Region,” said Přemysl Novák, speaking on behalf of the event’s organizer, Petr Čech Sport Agency. The event is open to 3,000 participants and offers two routes for cyclists of all performance categories. 

The start and finish of both routes is Vaníčkova Street near Prague’s Strahov Stadium.

The longer, more demanding route is 129.6 km. With an overall elevation gain of over 1600 m, it will challenge riders over two king of the mountain sections and one sprint segment. A shorter 90.6 km circuit is also offered, with a total climb of over 1000 m, one king of the mountain, and one sprint section. 

As in the Tour de France, racers will be battling for jerseys – the polka dot jersey for the best climber, the green jersey for the fastest sprinter, and the coveted yellow jersey for the fastest rider.

For many of the participants, this will be their first experience of a large-scale cycling event. The organizers are mindful of the novelty of cycling in a peloton and they have created a “jsemvbaliku” safety campaign, designed to educate participants on how behave and to move in a peloton, in order to prevent any potentially precarious situations from occurring.

The event promises to be a great day, not just for the participants, but for families and spectators too. As well as the start and finish line, the event village at Strahov also offers lots of family-friendly entertainment which will appeal to Francophiles, including a Tour de France museum, the opportunity to taste some French gastronomy, and live French music.

The other major fan zone is in Beroun, where spectators can enjoy the excitement of the sprint section, as the competitors speed towards the green jersey. There will be a large area focused on families with children at the Beroun fan zone, including a traffic playground, bouncy castle, and races designed for children.