FLAT STAGE WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3rd

Premiere edition of the Flat L'Etape Czech Republic by Tour de France 2026 will take place in Pardubice on Saturday, October 3rd. Originally, the race in Eastern Bohemia was scheduled for the following day.

In the 2026 season, under the banner of L'Etape by Tour de France, two races will take place in the Czech Republic for the third time in history. The first will be the traditional Hilly stage starting on June 20th in Prague at Pankrác and heading towards the Sázava and Vltava rivers south of the capital. The second event, which will close the domestic road season, is the Flat L'Etape Czech Republic by Tour de France.

Originally, the race was to take place on Sunday, October 4th, but the start of the second event in the series on Czech territory will now be on Saturday, October 3rd at 10:30 a.m. Cyclists will gradually set off in starting waves of 184 racers at three-minute intervals.

Why was the start moved by twenty-four hours? "It was originally supposed to be an election weekend. And because L'Etape Czech Republic is held on closed roads, we didn't want to affect the citizens' ability to go to the polling stations. However, there was a change, and the local municipal elections will be held the following weekend, so we will not interfere with any potential voter movements," explains Přemysl Novák, director of L'Etape Czech Republic by Tour de France, the shift of the racing battle to Saturday.

"The second reason for the change is that the speedway Golden Helmet will take place on October 4th in 2026. We didn't want to risk a clash with this traditional event, so the Flat stage will be held a day earlier," adds Přemysl Novák.

"If someone registered for the Flat stage and the new date of October 3rd does not suit them, they can contact us, and we will refund one hundred percent of the entry fee," emphasizes the race director.

The Flat stage will have a single route of 111 kilometers, with an elevation gain of only 250 meters. The start in Pardubice will take place on Sukova Avenue and through the villages of Dašice, Holice, Borohrádek, along the Orlice River with views of the Orlické Mountains, Albrechtice, and Sezemice, the peloton will head back to Pardubice.