“Some of the biggest names came over during the race to shake my hand and say some kind words” - Slovakia’s masseur survives 100km in elite Worlds race after emergency call-up
Cycling
Vladimir Kovacik went to Montreal expecting to spend the World Championships on the massage table. By Sunday afternoon, he had spent more than 100 kilometres riding alongside some of the biggest names in professional cycling instead.
Slovakia’s 28-year-old team masseur became one of the most unlikely starters of the World Championships after a succession of withdrawals left the nation without an available rider for the elite men's road race.
Matthias Schwarzbacher was unavailable following surgery, Martin Svrcek had health problems and national champion Lukas Kubis had not been released by Unibet Rose Rockets. With the entry deadline already passed and Slovakia determined not to lose valuable ranking opportunities with Los Angeles 2028 on the horizon, Kovacik suddenly found himself being measured up for a race bike.
He had not competed for nine years. “When they told me I was going to race, I just smiled, but the closer the race got, the more stressed I became,” Kovacik told Slovak television channel JOJ after returning home. “I didn’t even dare look at my phone or social media. Every time I opened Instagram, my photo was everywhere, and I’m really not used to that.”
By the time he reached the pre-race sign-on, the nerves had properly kicked in. “When I went up onto the podium, I was so stressed that I couldn’t even find where I was supposed to sign to confirm my presence,” he said. “But after all the interviews and once the race had started, things got better.”
🇸🇰 Él es Vladimir Kovacik
— Tiempo de Juego (@tjcope) September 27, 2026
🦵🏽 Es el masajista del equipo eslovaco
🔝 Debido a las bajas de los ciclistas de su equipo, se ha montado en la bici para competir en el Mundial de Ciclismo para evitar que su país baje de categoría en el ranking UCIpic.twitter.com/uMtL3aTHBf
More than 100 kilometres at almost 47km/h
National coach Jakub Vanco had admitted beforehand that Slovakia’s participation would essentially be formal. Kovacik was there first and foremost to make sure the country had somebody on the start line.
Once he was actually in the peloton, he wanted to find out how long he could stay there. “Our coach, Jakub Vanco, told me to enjoy it,” Kovacik explained. “I wanted to test myself and see how many kilometres I would be able to last.”
“For the first 15 to 20 kilometres, I tried to stay at the back of the peloton, but at times I found myself in the first third of the group," he added. “I was delighted that I managed to stay with the peloton at an average speed of 47 km/h until we reached the local circuits, and that I got to ride across the bridge.”
Kovacik eventually survived for more than 100 kilometres of the 273-kilometre race before cramps brought his afternoon to an end.
By then, even some of the riders around him knew exactly why Slovakia’s masseur was suddenly sharing their World Championship. “Some of the biggest names in professional cycling even came over to me during the race to shake my hand and say some kind words,” he said. “It was a beautiful moment.”
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Back to the massage table
There will be no nine-year wait for Kovacik's next appearance at a major championship, although his role will be rather more familiar. “I only got home today, but tomorrow I’m leaving for the European Championships,” he said. “This time really as a masseur.”
In Slovenia, the Slovak riders will once again be the ones pinning on the numbers. Kovacik will be back behind the scenes, only now with an elite World Championship start of his own on the CV.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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