#NESESEDNEŠ: DON'T BE LAZY, RIDE!

A bike as a new passion. In a new life. A life after illness. Martina Mikytová overcame cancer.

Her post-treatment restart brought a bike into her life. She's now in her third season on a road bike. And the challenge ahead? The Medium Route of the Hilly L’Etape Czech Republic by Tour de France.

"Sometimes I’m lying on the couch and think: I’m not going anywhere. I’m lazy. But then I think of all those who can’tride. Who want to, but their health won’t allow it. And so I get up, get dressed, and go. Everything I’ve been through now serves as great motivation," says the 37-year-old mother of two.

It’s been five years since she found a lump in her breast. The tests brought devastating news: cancer. What followed was chemotherapy, radiation, surgery.
"My body was in very bad shape. It’s a massive strain. The whole process takes about a year. You’re exhausted, you’re not thinking about sports. I gained weight. I didn’t feel well. I kept thinking about how to restart. I was afraid the illness would come back. Everyone is. So I looked for what I could do. And I always came back to physical activity as the best prevention," explains the clothing entrepreneur.

She started running, and soon a friend introduced her to road cycling. "I was completely new to the cycling world," she admits. "As a kid, I cycled very little. I never went on any biking trips with my parents, like families often do today. As a teenager, I had my dad’s old road bike. I still remember the feeling of speed on those narrow, smooth tires. All of us in the housing estate in Kroměříž had old bikes handed down from moms and grandmas... It was super cool to ride an old machine," Martina Mikytová says with a smile, digging through her memories.

As she got older, sport took a back seat. "In our home, sport wasn’t really a thing. I did gymnastics as a child, but stopped when I became a teenager," Martina recalls. It wasn’t until her serious illness that she returned to sport—and especially to the saddle.
"It’s scientifically proven that regular exercise and a balanced lifestyle significantly lower the chance of cancer recurrence. I don’t want to leave that risk to chance," she explains.

Getting started wasn’t easy. "It’s hard to stay consistent in training because your fitness is basically zero. But it improves fast. I rode 10 kilometers and felt like it was such a long distance. Then 20, then 30. This is my third season. And I can feel how far I’ve come. My body is healthier. The benefits are clear," reflects Martina. "I’m still undergoing hormone treatment, so some effects linger. But it’s mostly about the mindset. You have to believe in yourself."

She bought bikes for her sons too, aged nine and eleven. Occasionally, they join her for shorter training rides. Last year, she clocked 4,000 kilometers in the saddle.
During the winter, for the first time in her life, she went to a warm-weather cycling camp—on Mallorca—with the L’Etape Czech Republic by Tour de France community. She learned how to ride in a peloton, gained experience riding in the wind...

"I already noticed L’Etape last year. I wanted to ride, but talked myself out of it. Then a friend pushed me. And the training camp was one of the steps on the road to my goal: taking part in the Hilly stage," Martina Mikytová shares.

When she lines up on June 21, 2025, at the start of the Medium Route of the Hilly Stage in Prague’s Strahov, she won’t be riding just for herself. "Even though treatment has advanced a lot, I’ve noticed a lack of positive stories in the cancer community I passed through. I didn’t come across many. So I’ll be riding for others, too—because when you go through something like this, you connect deeply with others facing the same fears and pain. Some of the women I met have died, because their illness was detected too late. Others have seen it return. I know they’d love to be out riding. So when I’m lazing around at home and don’t feel like going out, these thoughts kick me into gear," says Martina Mikytová.

It’s hard to imagine a rider in the L’Etape peloton for whom the hashtag #NESESEDNEŠ carries such deep meaning. "I still have weaker moments. Like before a big check-up, when I see patients in the waiting room going through what I once did. I sleep badly beforehand. Or I get a backache and wonder—has the illness come back? Then I start doubting, worrying. But I never give up. Every time, I ride for all those who can’t. I can, so I pedal for them too," she says with emotion.

"Cycling is incredible therapy. It gives me a huge boost of energy. Clears my head. And helps me discover the countryside around me. Not to mention the health benefits," says Martina. "And it helps me sleep so well."

When she makes her race debut, she won’t be chasing a specific time or placing. "I’m riding for the experience. The fact that it takes place on closed roads—that was one of the first things that drew me to L’Etape. For me, taking part in L’Etape is a big personal milestone. I originally planned to ride the short route. But I’ll do the medium one. It’s a challenge. I think people who ride bikes tend to be confident, persistent, and always pushing their limits. And that’s exactly how it should be," says Martina, who—true to the #NESESEDNEŠ motto—will take on 97 kilometers and 1,000 meters of climbing.