Yellow Jersey on Stage 1? Sprinter Pavel Bittner is Czechia’s hope at Tour de France
Pavel Bittner will be the sole Czech cyclist at this year’s Tour de France, the world’s most watched annual sports event. The young sprinter is making his debut at the iconic race, starting on Saturday in Lille, with a stage that could very well suit his strengths.
As part of team Picnic PostNL, Pavel Bittner will line up at the first stage – the “Grand Départ” – of this year’s 112th edition of the Tour de France with high hopes. The stage is relatively flat and promises a sprint finish, something that the Czech rider has been working hard towards:
“Overall, this year I have been focusing more on sprints and fast-paced classics. I have improved a lot in that area,” he says, looking forward to his maiden Tour de France.
“On the one hand, for sure, a sprinter will take the Yellow Jersey, which is a huge opportunity. On the other, there are ten races in the first ‘week’. We will not have Monday off because it’s Bastille Day, and on top of that it will be a difficult stage. It will be challenging, but there are certainly opportunities. I’m looking forward to that though, it’s one of the reasons I’m going.”
Bittner and his Picnic PostNL are not expected to compete with the likes of Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard for the foremost places of the general classification, instead seeking individual stage victories.
Notable names in the 8-man squad include home fan favourite and experienced climber Warren Barguil, or Tobias Lund Andersen who is also a sprinter. A tandem with his Danish teammate should, according to Bittner, be the key to success in sprint finishes:
“Myself and Tobias Lund will be there. We already know each other for some time, so we will be leading out each other’s sprints. If it’s a more heavy finish, he’ll be the designated sprinter. If it’s a faster finish, it’s on me. That’s how it’s going to work. The support will be great, even stronger than I had at the Vuelta.”
Pavel Bittner is no stranger to a “Grand Tour” victory. Last year, he won Stage 5 at the Vuelta a España – one of the 3 major road cycling races on the calendar, alongside the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia. Despite his big victory in Spain, the 22-year old admits that the roads of France evoke a whole other level of respect:
“The way I am, I usually don’t realize how big the race is until I get there, but it’s something every rider dreams about. Probably the pinnacle of cycling, so I’m curious how it will go.”
Pavel Bittner will be the first out-and-out sprinter representing Czechia at the Tour de France since Ján Svorada in 2002. The Czech cycling legend won 3 individual stages at the Tour de France throughout his career: in 1994, 1998, and 2001.
The Tour de France consists of 21 stages, with a ceremonious final finish at the Champs-Elysees in Paris, relocated last year due to the Olympic Games. Jan Hirt was the only Czech rider that time, finishing 67th overall, as an aide, or “domestique”, to Remco Evenepoel at team Soudal Quick-Step.
