The ATT Investments team is a Czech team playing in Continental, the 3rd division of world cycling. Founded in 2020, the team, initially minor at the continental level, has moved upmarket over the years to currently be the best European continental team in the UCI rankings and why not aim even higher in the seasons to come.
A linear progression towards the high continental level
Created in 2020 in total anonymity, the team then called Topforex Lapierre was a small non-professional continental structure like there are dozens at this level.
After a difficult start in the middle of the Covid year, the team is already showing itself to be fine 2020 with the final victory of Filip Reha on the Tour de Malapolska, year in which he also won the title of champion of the Czech Republic on the road. At the end of this season, the rider will thus join the Kern Pharma professional team as well as other riders who will leave the structure, like Jakub Boucek who will then join the reserve team of Israel-Premier Tech training.
The objective of this team is then very clear : made up of young Czech and Slovak runners, its goal is to achieve results in races .2 local as well as propelling its best runners to the high level.
The year 2021 marks a turning point with the arrival as secondary sponsor of ATT Investments, a luxury jewelry company. Even if that year, the team does not win, runners are starting to show up like the young sprinter Tomas Barta who has a string of good results in Eastern Europe, just like the Slovakian Matus Stocek. The team still remains anonymous at the continental level, with an anecdotal 77th place in the UCI team rankings.
But the following season marks the year of the explosion. After the departure of Topforex, ATT Investments alone provides sponsorship with a significant increase in the budget. Furthermore, the team opens up internationally with the arrival of a young German rider, Mika Hemming, who will become the most prolific rider of the team with around ten top 10s in category races .2 acb4f2b93a532c5a053a0554de 2 victories. Thomas Barta, more and more regular, will thus raise his arms for the first time on the circuit .2. With other runners such as Matus Stocek or Karel Camrda, the team tickles the best teams in Eastern Europe and finishes 59th in the UCI team rankings. Unfortunately, the team then loses its 2 best runners : Barta and Heming join the professional level. The team must then rebuild itself.
2023 : the year of confirmation and ambitions
For this season 2023, the team's general manager Petr Kaltofen announced his ambitions during the team presentation in January : be one of the best continental teams on the circuit and achieve results in professional races.
To do this, the team gave itself the means with flashy recruitment for a continental team : Estonian sprinter Mihkel Raim and Hungarian climber Marton Dina both coming from the professional level, came to bring their experience and leadership. Czech climber/roller Jakub Otruba also joined the team after failing in his quest to race in ProTeam despite strong performances in professional races. The experienced Czech Daniel Turek, experienced in the continental circuit, also joined the team as did the promising Gert Kivistik and Filip Chylè, as well as the track rider Pavel Kelemen.
The least we can say, it is that the declarations of the team manager are for the moment coming true. In addition to its usual results on .2, the team also performed well in professional races, with an excellent Jakub Otruba who finished on the podium of the Sibiu Tour and the Tour of the Czech Republic (3e every time) as well as 5th in the Tour of Greece. Marton Dina (9th of the Sibiu Tour) and Daniel Turek (8th of the Tour of Greece) also scored in professional races.
The team is currently the 1st European continental team and 5th in the world in the UCI rankings., where it is also ahead of several Pro Team formations.
His ambitions for the end of the year are to continue to perform in professional races with the Tour of Slovakia and Croatia in his sights., as well as to consolidate or even progress their UCI ranking.
A vision of the future
The team is therefore this year one of the best continental teams on the circuit with a squad to match., but some riders will surely not want to stay long in the 3rd level in the world. We think of Jakub Otruba who came to the team to better make the jump to pro or even of Mihkel Raim and Marton Dina wanting to return to the professional level.
However, the team has nothing to envy of the ProTeam teams with paid riders, organizing several group and altitude courses during the year, as well as high-performance bikes (Lapierre).
The next viable objective would therefore be a rise to ProTeam level. For it, the budget will have to follow but we have no doubt about the sponsor ATT Investments who has already increased the sail at the start of the season. On the other hand, if the team remains at continental level, you will have to try to talk to your best people at all costs, as well as having a more extensive calendar. Otherwise, young guns like Tomas Jakoubek or Karel Camrda who are full of promise, will take over the team to stabilize it at the top of the basket of continental teams.
