Three from Three – West Bohemia Delivers Another UCI Podium
The West Bohemia Tour UCI 2.2U gave JAKROO Handsling Racing four very different days of racing in Czechia – a sharp uphill prologue, long attritional road stages, thunderstorms, breakaways and fast finishes.
Most importantly, it produced our third podium in three consecutive UCI events, following Harrison Dainty’s podium at the Tour of Małopolska and Oli Dawson’s second place at Nogent-sur-Oise.
Against a field containing development teams like Alpecin-Premier Tech and Hagens Berman Jayco, a deep group of UCI Continental squads and several national teams, the performance was about much more than one result. Across the week, virtually every rider had an opportunity to contribute.
Dylan pushing to the line. Credit: @cycling.photography
A fast start
The race opened with a 3.7km prologue with 200m elevation gain up to Radyně.
Sam Chaplin led the team home in 20th, followed by Oscar Nisbett in 27th and Harrison Dainty in 29th – putting three JAKROO Handsling riders inside the top 30 and getting the week off to a solid start.
Getting up the road
Stage 1 brought a completely different challenge.
Oscar Nisbett made sure our colours were visible at the front by getting into the breakaway of the day, continuing a theme that has run through much of our European programme this year: rather than simply surviving these races, we want our riders to have the confidence to influence them.
The move was eventually brought back as the race became increasingly selective, but the intent was there.
Results are important, but so is giving our riders the opportunity to experience racing from the front against some of the best U23 programmes in Europe.
Oscar refuelling during a long stint in the break. Credit: @janbrychtaphoto
Storms, a podium and two in the top five
The weather turned quickly during Stage 2, with thunderstorms forcing a temporary halt in proceedings. When racing resumed, it became another aggressive and unpredictable day.
Guest rider Mak Larkin made the decisive four-man selection in the technical finale and sprinted to second place, while Dylan Belton-Owen narrowly finished fourth in the sprint to the line.
Mak enjoying the podium on Stage 2. Credit: @janbrychtaphoto
Two riders in the top four. A stage podium. And the team classification on the day.
For Mak, who joined us as a guest rider for the race, it was a brilliant opportunity taken with both hands. For Dylan, fourth place against this level of opposition was another indication of the talent developing within the squad.
Mak’s second also extended a run we are particularly proud of: three UCI podiums from our last three UCI events.
Małopolska. Nogent. West Bohemia.
Different riders. Different types of racing. Same upward trajectory.
Racing til the end
There was no easing into the final day.
Stage 3 around Plzeň saw Oli, Sam and Harrison involved in the early moves, but the race repeatedly came back together before ending in a bunch finish. Harrison finished 16th on the stage, while Mak came home 31st as the final GC settled.
Harrison in the break as it’s being formed. Credit: @cycling.photography
After four days, Harrison was our highest rider overall in 24th, with Mak just behind in 27th.
Across the prologue and three road stages we had riders testing themselves against Continental teams, national squads and some of the strongest U23 development programmes in Europe. We put riders in breaks, raced through radically different weather and terrain, contested a stage victory and gave six young riders another block of international racing experience.
That is exactly what this programme is meant to do.
Building opportunity
One of the things we are proudest of this season is the range of riders who have delivered our biggest performances.
Harrison in Poland. Oli in France. Mak in Czechia alongside Dylan. Oscar & Oli attacking relentlessly. Sam leading us home in the prologue & during the chase on the final stage.
It shows depth, but more importantly, it shows opportunity.
Our job is to create the environment, calendar and support that allow riders to test themselves at this level. When those opportunities turn into results, it strengthens the case for everything we’re building.
And we are building.
JAKROO Handsling Racing podium presentation. Credit @janbrychtaphoto
The team will be back in 2027, with the programme growing again. We are fortunate to have partners who believe in what we are doing, while always remaining open to conversations with organisations that see value in becoming part of our journey.
For now, there is still plenty of 2026 left.
Next comes another UCI 2.2U stage race at Flanders Tomorrow, followed by the final domestic Nat B races of the season.
West Bohemia gave us another podium, another set of lessons and another reason to keep pushing.
More to come.
