Calm before one of the most important sporting events of this year? This would be hard to find on the Czech cycling scene. Just a few weeks before the start of the Games in Paris, things are heating up among the bikers! The reason is the qualification of competitor Adély Holubová, whose replacement is Jitka Čábelická. But she perceives the whole process as unfair, and together with her husband, they started a fight!
Jitka Čábelická and her husband Petr, who is also her manager, have a negative perception of the way in which the nomination took place. The criteria for it were announced last November and the competitor had to finish in 28th place in the elite category at the World Cup or European Championship races or in 6th place in the under-23 category. Afterwards, mutual performance at the Czech Cup was to be assessed.
At that time, Čábelická, Adéla Holubová and Patricie Srnská were fighting for participation in the Paris Games. After the last World Cup before nominations were closed, Čábelická recorded 27th place in the elite category at the World Cup and 21st place at the European Championship in the elite category. Holubová placed 8th at the WC under 23 and Srnská 13th in the same age category. The last two MEs did not finish.
The association then informed that, due to the balance of female cyclists and the lack of a more significant international result, the coaching council decided only after the Czech Cup race in Bedřichov. Holubová won there, on the other hand, Čábelická was troubled by health problems before the start and then faced technical difficulties during the race. The young competitor thus secured her first start at the Olympics. However, the three-time champion of the Czech Republic does not want to accept the role of substitute and published a longer text on social networks in which, among other things, she accused the union of betrayal.
Jitka Čábelická’s husband then sent a letter to the head of the WWTP, Jiří Kejval, with whom he also met regarding the whole situation. “We met in person, I explained everything to him. I am uncomfortable not only with his wife, but also with the nominated lady. It’s a sport, the trainer at the cycling association is responsible for the nomination. He bears the responsibility and only time will tell if the decision was right. Čábelický handed over the matter to the ombudsman, who will certainly inform us of the results,” described Kejval according to Sport.cz, who emphasized that as chairman of the committee he is not able to determine who will go to the Olympics.
Čábelická herself has a method for throwing sticks under her feet, whose husband and manager then talk about “strange needs to change the rules when the ‘wrong’ competitor is nominated”.
110 athletes are nominated for the Czech Republic at the Olympics, whose participation was praised by the WWTP plenum on Monday, and Holubová is also among the representatives. Applications should be sent out next week.
Racer Jitka Čábelická will probably have to accept the role of substitute.
