The introduction of the Bicycle East Bohemia Tour was dominated by Hagen, Kaňkovský finished third
Hagen will take the yellow jersey to the final, second round of the East Bohemia Tour. “I’ve been in a similar situation two years ago in racing in Portugal – but I lost the yellow jersey for one second. Of course I’d like to keep him now. We will see how the second stage develops, but we have a strong team and the stage win will surely encourage us, “Hagen said.
His Coop team was very much visible at the opening stage. During the first stage, Peloton completed eleven 15.5 km long circuits in the surroundings of Lázně Bělohrad. Already in the second round, a pair of racers – Turek Ahmet Orken and Hagen’s teammate Philip Lindau – came out to escape.During the race they made a four-minute lead.
Three lines ahead of the target came to the Turkish cyclist’s strength, and Lindau, though long trying to resist the peloton, failed. The packet went into the final round and all attempts to escape were unsuccessful. Krister Hagen won the best position in the final spur.
“I was feeling good at the whole race. I saved my strength and told my colleagues that I would like to get to the final spur. About four miles from the finish I even tried to attack. Maybe it was a little crazy, but I felt I had a lot of strength, “he explained.
“Team teammates helped me in the end.Team Elkov Author had a clear strategy to get ahead of his best Sprinter Kaňkovský and the last turn was quite chaotic, as about eight drivers were on the podium. But I felt I had a victory. So fifteen yards from the finish I knew I could do it, “Hagen described his first victory at the UCI races. “I already have a lot of second and third places on my account, I’m glad to have won.”
The only Czech representative among the top three Alois Kaňkovský, the winner of the Thursday ELKOV city award Grand Prix of Hradec Kralove, on the stairs he fought more by force of will. “I knew I did not have perfect feet. At the start I was getting slightly cold, I think I have a fever, so I did not feel well.But they are domestic races and we wanted to try at least the sprint. Today it was my maximum, “he nodded.
The overall winner of the East Bohemia Tour crowned the final Saturday round in Opocno and its surroundings. A 171-km long track leads traditionally across the Orlické hory. Even before the elite cyclists, the hobby competitors will take part in the Hobby Marathon Grand Prix of the Hradec Králové Region.
