TNN battle hilly terrain on Queen Stage of the Czech Tour

29 July 2023

The Queen Stage of the Czech Tour came packed full of climbing and altitude meters that made for another challenging day for Team Novo Nordisk.

The 161.5 kilometer route included two ascents of the Dlouhá strána and then continued with the climb up Červenohorské sedlo, the mountain pass in Hrubý Jeseník, which turned out to be the final test for the peloton and the deciding factor in todays stage.

Sports Director Gennady Mikhaylov:

“Today was the Queen Stage and the objective was to handle the challenge as best we could and make sure we all finished within the time limit. We knew that the climbs would take their toll and it was good to see Lucas finding his legs again and digging in.”

“Hamish and Lucas have been gradually improving throughout the race and they were our two best guys today. One more stage to go and one more tough day of racing to battle through.”

Lucas Dauge:

“Today was once again a hard day with lots of climbs. Our goal was to pass through this day without any problems and ride together until the final climb.”

“We managed to maintain our rhythm until the finish and tide our own pace to the line. The first group was climbing really strong and it was too hard to follow. My legs were okay, but I know I can do better. I still need to work on my position, but it’s good to feel like I’m getting better.”