Czech Tour 2026: star-studded start list and favourites, Pozzovivo leads the way

Czech Tour 2026: a high-level start listThe Czech Tour 2026, scheduled for August 13 in the Czech Republic, presents a highly competitive start list. The procontinental category race will see 125 riders at the start, with several top teams and names of great international experience.Among the most anticipated teams are Soudal Quick-Step, Netcompany INEOS and NSN Cycling Team, ready to put on a show on Czech roads.The favourites on the eveAt the top of the list is Domenico Pozzovivo, an Italian veteran with a palmarès that speaks for itself. His recent results, such as 4th at the Mercan'Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes and 3rd at the Giro dell'Appennino, make him the number one candidate for the general classification.Also watch out for Alessandro Fancellu (MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort), a young rider on the rise: 9th at Milano-Torino and 4th at the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkiye show excellent form. 5th at the Tour of Hainan confirms his ability to compete in stage races.Netcompany INEOS fields Jack Haig, a WorldTour-level rider with experience in high-profile stage races. Although without recent documented results, his presence in a structured team makes him a serious threat.Also worth keeping an eye on is Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step), capable of competing at the highest level, and Matteo Fabbro, Pozzovivo's teammate, who could play a co-leader role.Potential surprisesThe race could hold surprises. Riley Sheehan (NSN Cycling Team) arrives strong from his win at the Lotto Circuit de Wallonie, while Kieran Haug (Modern Adventure Pro Cycling) has shown good form with 2nd at the Tour of the Gila.Don't underestimate Jakub Otruba (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA), second at the Czech National Championships: he races at home and knows the roads perfectly.Tactical analysisThe race promises to be tactically complex. Pozzovivo and Fabbro on the same team can control the race, but Netcompany INEOS with Haig could set a high pace. Soudal Quick-Step with Landa and Vansevenant have two classification options. Watch out for breakaways: riders like Alessandro Verre, winner of the GP Slovakia, could try long-range moves.The presence of several Czech riders will make the race more nervous, with the home crowd pushing them on.Predicted podiumDomenico Pozzovivo — experience and consistency in resultsAlessandro Fancellu — young, in form, motivatedJack Haig — superior quality, even with limited dataNote: 95 riders have no history on the platform, so the prediction is based only on the 30 riders with documented data.The Czech Tour takes place in the Czech Republic, a country with a long cycling tradition.