Photos full of physical exertion, emotions of competitors and fans during unique moments of leading Czech and world cycling races. The unique exhibition entitled “PELOTONIE, The best of Cycling Photography” will excite fans of sports photography and cycling. It takes place in the Bořislavka Center in the foyer of the KKCG headquarters and will be accessible until the end of August. The photos will be available for purchase and all money raised will go to charity. The exhibition was jointly supported by Sazka and the Czech Cycling Tour. Czech athletes also supported the exhibition by participating in the opening, Andrea Sestini Hlaváčková, Zuzana Hejnová and cyclist Petr Vakoč arrived.
Three leading Czech sports photographers will present themselves at the exhibition. Markéta Navrátilová brought a selection from twenty-five editions of the Tour de France and other cycling races around the world to Bořislavka. Together with her, the official photographer of the Czech Olympians Barbora Reichová and Jan Brychta, whose name is strongly associated with the Czech Cycling Association, will present their work. At Bořislavka, visitors will see over 50 photographs of various formats, the largest of which are over a meter long.
Former professional tennis player and doubles specialist Andrea Sestini Hlaváčková also came to support the exhibition, who recently went cycling with her husband after a long time. “Years ago I had a bad bike accident where I broke my mouth and teeth, and since then I’ve been pretty scared of cycling. But now I have a new off-road bike and my husband and I wanted to see the surroundings of the Hostivařský dam, where we live,” revealed Andrea, who believes that maybe thanks to her daughter, she will use the bike more often in the future. “But I enjoy watching cycling more than driving it,” he says with a smile. “I watch it a lot, mainly through my friends who are professionals, for example Roman Kreuziger reveals a lot about this world to me.”
“It’s beautiful when someone can capture it with a camera. I have even known the photographer Markéta Navrátilová for a very long time. She also played tennis, so we have a lot of experiences together, and her photos leave a deep impression on me,” concludes Sestini Hlaváčková.
The former athlete Zuzana Hejnová also enjoys cycling with her family in her spare time. “I really like to ride a bike, my husband and I hitch a wheelchair and we can also go out with our son. We play sports all year round, because sports are an inherent part of our lives. In the summer, we most often ride bikes or go for inline skates,” says Zuzana Hejnová. Her favorite author of the exhibition is Barbora Reichová, who also photographs athletics.
The images will transport visitors to the Tour de France, Czech Tour, Závod Miru and other famous cycling races. The atmosphere will also be complemented by a special racing bike from the prestigious Italian manufacturer Colnago, type C64 Gold Private Edition, of which only 64 were produced. Only three of them ended up in Europe, and one will be in Bořislavka. And what is special about it? Design with 24 carat gold details.
“Cycling has one of the most beautiful ‘stadiums’ you can imagine. Every day is different, with different backdrops, spectators and in different contexts,” explains Markéta Navrátilová, why this sport is the most popular for her from a photographic point of view. “The only thing I missed about cycling photography was the fact that it didn’t have a direct utilitarian value, like the design I was studying, for example. But if Pelotonia and I succeed in carrying out our charitable plan and we are able to contribute photos to be useful to someone in terms of cycling photos, I won’t miss anything at all,” he reminds us that the proceeds from the sale of the exhibited photos are intended to support young athletes from disadvantaged families who are helped by the Czech Olympic Foundation. Part of the money will also go towards the purchase of a new handbike for athlete and quadriplegic Luďek Švásta, for whom the purchase of a specially modified hand-powered bicycle means a return to active leisure time.
The exhibition takes place on the occasion of the Czech Tour, the largest domestic road stage race, which will take place from July 27 to 30 in Jeseníky. Sazka is a significant supporter of Czech sports and helps current and future champions in fulfilling their dreams. In recent years, Sazka has significantly entered cycling and has become the general partner of the Czech Tour race, with which she has big plans. He wants to move the race up to the World Tour category and thus place it among the most prestigious races in the world.
Thanks to the support of the KKCG group of businessman Karel Komárek, the Pelotonia exhibition is freely accessible to the general public from June 21 to August 27. Visitors can reach the foyer by elevator from the Borislavka shopping center or directly from Evropska street (entrance to KKCG and Sazka). The foyer is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on weekends from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The event is part of KKCG’s long-term plan to turn the Borislavka Center into a cultural space and a place for people to meet. Here, the company organizes exhibitions, concerts and organizes a summer cinema on the outdoor piazzetta.
