Paul Fietzke takes second place in the Czech stage race, while Patrick Casey comes in third. Noah Lindholm Møller Andersen also earns a stage victory.
Second and third in the overall standings, a stage win, and victories in the mountain and team classifications – Team GRENKE - Auto Eder showcased their strength at this year’s Grand Prix West Bohemia. The stage race, held in Kyšice, Czech Republic, consisted of two stages, with the four GRENKE - Auto Eder starters playing a decisive role in the racing action on both days. The performance of BORA - hansgrohe’s U19 team is particularly noteworthy given that both races featured a highly competitive field, which included numerous Eastern European junior teams and national teams from Germany, Canada, and the USA.
On the first of the two race days, Paul Fietzke (Germany) and Patrick Casey (Ireland) were particularly influential in shaping the race. In the final sprint of the 120.6-kilometer-long opening stage, Fietzke was narrowly defeated by the Czech local hero, Pavel Šumpík. Patrick Casey finished closely behind in third place, continuing his strong performance from the Eroica Juniores stage race a week earlier. On the 134-kilometre-long second stage, the young riders from Team GRENKE - Auto Eder were also consistently at the forefront. This time, it was Noah Lindholm Møller Andersen (Denmark) who secured the day’s victory with a bold move in the final kilometres, celebrating his first international win in the U19 category.
In the overall standings, Fietzke finished second behind Šumpík, with Casey taking third place. Fietzke also won the mountain classification. Additionally, GRENKE - Auto Eder led the team classification. The next race for the U19 team from Raubling is the Tour of Flanders on May 19th. Additionally, some riders from the team will compete with their national teams at the Czech stage race, Course de la Paix Juniors, from May 2nd to 5th.
Quotes from the finish line
“I felt really good. I may have been a bit too enthusiastic tactically on the first day and attacked more than necessary. Unfortunately, on the second day, I couldn't push hard enough to overtake the overall leader, Pavel Šumpík. Nevertheless, the result was still very good. Our team performance was also really strong.” – Paul Fietzke
“Our plan was to win the overall classification with either Paul or Patrick. Unfortunately, that didn't work out. In the final kilometres, I managed to break away from the pack and catch and pass the leading riders. From there, it was just one kilometre to the finish, and I put everything on the line. It feels great to win my first race. Hopefully, it's the first of many victories.” – Noah Lindholm Møller Andersen
Photos: GP West Bohemia/Jan Brychta