The Olympic Champion Jaroslav Kulhavy has chosen Cyprus as the proven destination for the upcoming season.
Jaroslav is not only training intensively, but also racing. He is taking part in the traditional Sunshine Cup.

“I have been participating in the races in Cyprus for many years. They are very well organized, on the attractive and interesting routes in the wonderful nature of Cyprus with excellent top racers of the world peloton”, says Jaroslav.

This year´s Jara´s preparation is aimed at achieving the best results in the Mountain Bikes World Cup, in the XCO World Championship and also in the World Championship in the Marathon. That´s the title Jaroslav has been still missing in his successful collection of achievements.

For training Jara uses the terrains around Limassol.
“There are fantastic terrains for cycling and training. There are roads of high quality with low traffic and broken profiles, long hills and plains. The natural ways are very varied and suitable for training on the mountain bikes, including long technical parts and interesting downhills”, specifies the Olympic winner.

This year preparation is amplified by another event. Jaroslav is participating in the famous Cape Epic race, together with Christopher Sauser in honour of the tragically deceased team colleague and friend Burry Stander.

I hope that high quality training in Cyprus will help me to pass the Cape Epic with the best result. We are riding for Burry, this race is a very personal event for me and for the whole Specialized Racing team“.

Just like last year, olympic champion Jaroslav Kulhavy won his first race of the new mountainbike season at the Cyprus Sunshine Cup. In Voroklini he defended last year victory before German Manuel Fumic and third Fabian Giger from Switzerland.

Wheather had nothing in common with the name of it. After heavy rains before and during the race, the course was muddy and very slippery.

“I’m happy and satisfied with my todays win. I won even tough I was riding carefully, because the course was very silppery and I didn’t want to risk. I’m gald that it confirmed to me, that winter training went well, because this season preparation was little bit diferent then previous years and today it was my first training workout in high intensities.
The shape is always little bit uncertain before the first race, so now I’m happy that all goes good towards to Cape Epic, which I am focused on as my spring goal.” said Jaroslav after the race.

“I saw he was relaxed. That was start – finish style race by him and he did it from full training. Yesterday he was four and hlaf hours on the bike…” said Jaro’s coach Viktor Zapletal.

Jaroslav’s next start on Cyprus is coming up on Friday when the three stages long Afxentia race starts with the time-trial.

Výsledky: 
1. Jaroslav Kulhavý (CZE, Specialized Racing)
2. Manuel Fumic (GER, Cannondale Factory Racing)
3. Fabian Giger (SUI, Giant Off-Road)

Jaroslav has gone through his second training camp successfully. This time the Olympic champion left cold home for two weeks of good training in Mallorca.

“Training in Mallorca was held at 100% even though the weather was not so good. It was windy and also rainy up in the mountains. I usually did a sessions between 180-200 km. Sometimes I rode together with my friend Zdenek Stybar and other guys from Omega Pharma Quick-Step cycling team. That was a very good practice in the group! :-)” said Jaroslav about six hours long training rides.

“After I got back home, I had 2 days off and then started with my usual training. That means  around 130 kilometers daily combined with running, swimming or gym. This model I’ll do until the first mountain bike races that awaits me in Cyprus as in past years. It will also be my first training intensity before Cape Epic stage race.” Jaroslav adds.

The first preparative race should go on 23rd February in Voroklini, where Jaro will be defending last year’s victory.