Pavel
Bittner

Impressing in the junior categories with wins throughout the two years, including two Czech Republic national road race titles, Pavel joins the team’s Development program in 2021.

“This is a massive opportunity for me, I really like the team’s approach. Their Development program has helped many of today’s WorldTour riders reach their potential. My dream is to become a professional cyclist one day and I know that the team’s Development program is the best way to do that.”

Pavel comes from a family of cyclists, with his grandfather once in the selection mix for the Olympic games before he had to end his career, while his dad also raced at a regional level. However, there was no pressure on him to take up the sport and as a child he also did track and field, swimming and football before fully committing to cycling.

“I just love riding my bike. I love that you can get out and clear your mind at any time and I find that really helpful. It’s also much better than running because you can go a lot further and visit a lot of beautiful places and see different scenery.”

Currently still studying at school, Pavel will balance his racing alongside learning back home in the Czech Republic – something that he thinks is really important to do as it gives him a focus alongside his cycling.

“In terms of short-term goals, I want to start working with the team, fit in, make some new friends, and better my language. Then after that, I want to do what I love in life and be able to make a living from it.”

Away from the bike you can find Pavel playing the Playstation with friends, socialising with his family or honing his new-found cooking skills, after practising a lot more during 2020. He doesn’t have a speciality dish just yet and instead he’ll cook with “whatever we have at home.”