Czechia Launches Bid to Host the Opening Stages of the Tour de France!
The presentation kicked off with Ondřej Šebek, the Chairman of the National Sports Agency, followed by František Reismüller, director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism.
Přemysl Novák, director of L’Etape Czech Republic by Tour de France, presented the concept of the candidacy, discussing possible stages and the logistical plans that would enable Czechia to host the world-famous cycling race for the first time in history.
“I think our candidacy is very complex. Thanks to the composition of the working group, we can coordinate different areas so that they complement each other, resulting in the greatest and most positive effect for both the Czech Republic and the Tour de France as a legendary race. We have prepared stage designs with technical parameters and focused on close ties with tourism. Furthermore, the Czech Republic has a deep cycling tradition, incredible natural beauty, and architectural scenery,” revealed Chairman of the National Sports Agency Ondřej Šebek.
This meeting followed previous discussions between representatives of the A.S.O. and the Czech side over the past few months. In addition to the members present at the presentation in Paris, the working group includes Martin Kuba, the governor of the South Bohemia Region, Robert Kolář, vice chairman of the Czech Cycling Union, and Antonín Klecando, Prague Councillor for Education, Sport, and Leisure.
“It’s a fantastic candidacy. The involvement of Roman Kreuziger as a prominent Tour personality is crucial and beneficial. Prague is beautiful, and thanks to what we saw during the presentation, we know that not only Prague is worth visiting. The Czech Republic has previously shown it can host major events, and we are now focused on evaluating details since other countries are also interested in hosting,” he stated after Christian Prudhomme‘s presentation.
“Czechia offers an exceptional blend of cultural richness, beautiful nature, and experience in organizing major international events. The Tour de France is watched by billions of people in over 190 countries, making this a remarkable opportunity to showcase what our country can achieve. Such chances are rare, and we intend to seize it,” added František Reismüller, Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism.
The working group will continue with technical and organizational consultations with A.S.O. The final decision regarding the cities and dates for the event is expected in the coming years, with the announcement of the organizer for the 2029 edition planned for 2027.
“I would like to thank my colleagues in the working group for their excellent preparation of the candidacy, as well as the Czech Embassy in Paris for facilitating the presentation and for Mr. Ambassador’s personal support of our efforts. I believe that our candidacy has such high quality that it stands a great chance of success,” concluded Ondřej Šebek.
