Pavel Bittner sprints to nice 2nd place in Czech Tour opening stage

Stage racing returned today for some of the riders of Team dsm-firmenich PostNL after a break, with the opening stage of the Czech Tour. Before the more challenging stages coming up later in the race, the first day was dedicated to the sprinters. Only two riders formed the breakaway, allowing the peloton to ride at a controlled pace throughout the day. The escapees were brought back within the final six kilometres, and the riders from Team dsm-firmenich PostNL were in a good position entering the sprint preparations. They managed to drop Pavel Bittner at the front entering the last corner. He tried to surprise the other sprinters by launching his sprint early, being caught just before the line, and finishing second on the day. His teammate Emils Liepins made it a double top ten for the team and finished sixth on the day.
After the stage, Bittner said: “I was really motivated today to have a nice sprint finish at home. The guys did a really good job, and we stayed in position the whole day. Coming into the final, it got really hectic, but Sean stayed patient with me on his wheel, and we managed to get into a nice position for the final corner. I thought I could surprise them with a long sprint since I felt good, but it was a bit too long in the end. Lamperti was also strong today and managed to get around me. Second is a nice result, but it’s also the third second place of the year, so I hope to get that win soon. We have some good chances with Kevin in the coming days, so I am looking forward to that.”
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach Pim Ligthart added: “Our goal was to sprint with Pavel today. There was a key point with a bridge and a left corner 400 metres from the finish, and our plan was to stay calm and patient during the run-in. It was really hectic approaching the corner, but the guys did a great job of staying calm and sticking together. Sean could move up when the opportunity arose, and Pavel then tried to surprise the others by going early. He got beaten by Lamperti on the line, but the boys showed great commitment, and it was a good start to the week.”