A Gritty Weekend and Hard-Earned Experience

Slovak Cup Rounds – Šarišské Bohdanovce

Our racing campaign continued this past weekend in eastern Slovakia, where we lined up for a double round of the Slovak Road Cup. Fielding a lean yet fiercely determined squad—1 woman and 2 men—we tackled Saturday’s individual time trial followed by Sunday’s road race. Between mechanical gremlins and harsh conditions, nothing came easy, but our fighting spirit remained unwavering throughout.

Saturday: Individual Time Trial – A Podium and Mechanical Setbacks

The race against the clock ended on mixed notes:

  • Rock-Solid Pace: Alica was in outstanding form, executing the pacing strategy to perfection to secure a well-deserved 2nd place in her category.
  • Mechanical Heartbreak: The day took a stressful turn for Ati when his rear derailleur failed right after warm-up. By the time the issue was resolved, his official start time had passed by 9.5 minutes—a penalty added directly to his clock under UCI regulations. Reading the situation calmly, he backed off the gas to preserve vital energy for Sunday.
  • Digging Deep: Despite a crack-of-dawn alarm and a 5-hour drive across the country, Tamás found great legs and powered through to a solid 9th-place finish.

Sunday: Road Race – Gale-Force Winds and Demanding Terrain

Sunday turned into a war of attrition as a demanding, technical parcours met relentless crosswinds.

  • Men: Relentless surges, brutal crosswind echelons, and constant rhythm shifts split the peloton early. The unforgiving conditions proved too harsh for Ati to maintain pace with the front group, leading to an early withdrawal. Misfortune struck Tamás on lap two: his saddle came loose on a fast descent. Unable to risk high-speed equipment failure, he was forced to step off the bike.
  • Women: Alica fought tooth and nail once again. Unable to hold the punishing pace of the main peloton, she kept her head down, pushed solo against the wind, and salvaged valuable ranking points with a determined 5th-place finish.

Our Weekend Results:

  • Alica Bradlerová: Time Trial 2nd 🥈 | Road Race 5th
  • Tamás Nagy: Time Trial 9th

Summary

Road racing is an unforgiving sport: not every weekend belongs on the top step of the podium. Mechanical issues and punishing conditions tested our resolve, but these hard days provide the sharpest lessons. We take the insights forward, keep working, and look ahead to the next battles. Heads up, full gas ahead!