“Road cycling as a way of life. Road cycling with style. We want to offer something that has long been missing in the Czech environment and is also something that has been in high demand in recent years and not only in the Czech Republic,” says Jan Hejda, head of the project.
Cycling – especially road cycling – has a great tradition in this country. “But paradoxically, there’s not a single, comprehensive platform that includes everything on offer. The road bike has long ceased to be just a tool for a sporting performance or time trial. A road bike means great gastronomy and space to connect with art, design and fashion, but it's also something with significant community reach. Connecting all these aspects is the key idea behind the Road Classics project, which will essentially offer a year round, holistic approach to road bike experiences,” adds Hejda, detailing the innovation in amateur cycling.
In taking on the monuments, riders can choose from two formats – a free sportive ride, which can be enhanced with timed segments, and a full-fledged race with several bonus stages. This way, there’s space in the peloton for those who want to aim for a spot on the leaderboard as well as those who don’t feel like rushing, for whom a distance of 100 km with elevations over 2300 m is a challenge they can now take on against the special – and, above all, safe – backdrop of closed roads. There’s room for e-bike enthusiasts too.
The Road Classics peloton will hit the road for the first time on 16 September in Liberec. It will ride through iconic spots in the Jizera Mountains and its highlight is conquering Ještěd – the North Bohemian “rocket” that keeps watch over the surrounding area and will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of its opening. The ride will be a taster ahead of next year, when Road Classics returns with a full-fledged series format featuring various monuments across the country.
The project is brought to you by the sports marketing agency RAUL!, which is pleased to add Road Classics to its growing family of successful events, such as Jizerská 50, Běhej lesy, Ostrava Beach Pro and SkiTour.
