Slovak team masseur Vladimir Kováčik swapped the massage table for the saddle when a string of untimely withdrawals left Slovakia without a rider for the men’s elite road race at the UCI Road World Championships on Sunday.
The 28-year-old amateur had not competed since 2017, when he was a junior. Luckily, he was in decent form and already in Canada with the support staff. The three riders selected to represent Slovakia were unavailable: Matthias Schwarzbacher was out after surgery, Martin Svrček had health problems, and national champion Lukáš Kubiš was not released by his trade team. With the entry deadline having passed on 11 September, Kováčik became the only option because he still held a valid racing licence.
National coach Jakub Vančo called the start a formality. Fielding a rider protects Slovakia’s ranking points ahead of 2028 Olympic qualification.
Kováčik took it in good humour, admitting the hardest part of his brief comeback was shaving his legs. He told Eurosport that the start was a dream for any rider, and doubly so for a masseur.
He then held his own — and then some. Kováčik stayed in the peloton for just over 100 kilometres, rolling at close to 50 km/h alongside superstars Remco Evenepoel and Mathieu van der Poel, before being dropped as the race reached the finishing circuit in Montréal. He then climbed off, having done what Slovakia needed.
Back home in Slovakia, Kováčik was hailed as a national hero and legend — alongside fellow countryman and three-time world champion Peter Sagan.
Afterwards, the only thing left to do was figure out who would give Kováčik’s legs a proper rubdown.
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