‘I only shaved my legs’: Slovakia’s unlikely Worlds rider embraces bizarre call up
Slovakia turned to one of the most unlikely riders on the start list for Sunday’s elite men’s road race at the World Championships in Montréal, with national team masseur Vladimír Kováčik stepping in after a string of withdrawals left the country without an available rider.
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Kováčik, a 28-year-old former rider whose last competitive race came nine years ago, normally spends his days looking after Slovakia’s riders. On Sunday, he pinned on a number himself.
“It’s crazy,” Kováčik told Sporza before the start. “I have no words for it.”
Slovakia’s options had disappeared one by one. Matthias Schwarzbacher was injured, national champion Lukáš Kubiš was unavailable because of team commitments, while Martin Svrček was also ruled out.
With entries already closed, Slovakia could not call up another rider. Leaving the start line empty, however, would have had consequences well beyond Sunday’s race.
Without an elite men’s starter, the country’s national championships would drop into the B category next season, significantly reducing the UCI points on offer.
That left Slovakia looking for someone who could simply fulfil the requirement, and Kováčik, already in Montréal with the national team and still holding the necessary licence, provided the solution.
“Our participation will be purely formal,” national coach Jakub Vančo told Sportnet earlier in the week. “We will have representation in the form of a person who is here and who formally meets the conditions and holds the licence.”
Kováčik himself was equally realistic about what awaited him.
“This will be the race of my life, but obviously I’m only doing it to help the Slovak team,” he said.
“If the peloton rides slowly, maybe I can hang on for a little while. If they go fast, I’ll be dropped quickly.”
There was no special preparation and not even time to reconnoitre the course.
“No,” he laughed when asked about his preparation. “I just train at amateur level. I shaved my legs, but that’s about it.”
His unexpected appearance turned him into one of the stories of the day in Montréal, with Kováčik repeatedly stopped for interviews before taking his place on the start line.
Kováčik did more than simply roll away from the start line to fulfil Slovakia’s obligation. When the race reached the Montréal circuit after more than 100 kilometres, the team masseur turned Worlds rider was still sitting in the peloton.
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