Display of raw horse power makes Lidl-Trek's Vacek the Omloop dark horse, which he himself somewhat agrees with

The 22-year-old Vacek has been making rapid progress. In the pandemic-stricken 2020 season, he became European U23 time trial champion, which earned him a spot at Gazprom-RusVelo in 2021. A year later, he claimed a sensational stage win in the UAE Tour from the early breakaway, just one day after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

As a result, Gazprom-RusVelo, a Russian-registered team, was banned from numerous races, leaving Vacek as an unfortunate casualty. However, Lidl-Trek threw him a lifeline on August 1, 2022, restarting his career trajectory. That same year, the powerful Czech rider finished second at the U23 World Championships and took sixth in the Veneto Classic.

On that exact same date, Thibau Nys also turned professional, and after a strong first spring campaign, Vacek and Nys became teammates in races like the Tour of Norway and the Baloise Belgium Tour. A natural bond formed, as Vacek explained to us in mid-2024, after achieving numerous successes together. "Thibau and I have a natural connection. We’re the same age, but we’re not competitive towards each other. I’m always happy for him, and when we race together, we’re always really motivated to make the most of it."

"Mathias is my MVP (most valuable player, ed.) of last year, and I’d love to do something in return," said Thibau Nys with a big smile at Lidl-Trek’s media day. With Vacek’s help, Nys won stages in Hungary and Norway in 2024, after which the Czech rider got his own opportunities in the second half of the season. And he made the most of them—he finished second in the Baloise Belgium Tour, came close to winning the opening time trial in the Vuelta, and took runner-up in Paris-Tours. Vacek was also one of the few riders in the Olympic road race who managed to stay somewhat close to Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert on the way to Montmartre.

2025 also started well for Vacek, who was one of the key engines in Lidl-Trek’s team time trial victory at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. "I’ve definitely taken an extra step. Riding the Vuelta, my first Grand Tour, gave me experience and improved my endurance," he said. A crash in that race briefly threatened to disrupt his momentum, but his third-place finish in the Figueira Champions Classic showed that he recovered well. "I took it a bit easier for a while, but I don’t feel any effects from it anymore."

Now, the Flemish Classics are coming, starting with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Lidl-Trek will rely on former winner Jasper Stuyven and 2024 revelation Toms Skujins, but other teams will certainly be keeping an eye on Vacek as well. "Am I one of the dark horses for Opening Weekend? A little bit, of course. These races are a big goal for me, and I’m really aiming for them. So yeah, I’d say I agree that I’m an outsider," Vacek admitted.

"I’m racing the opening weekend and Strade Bianche. Then I’ll take a short break before returning for E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem, and hopefully Flanders," said Mathias Vacek, who has earned his spot in Lidl-Trek’s powerhouse squad for the Classics.

"If an opportunity presents itself, I’ll definitely grab it with both hands," continued the Bedoun-born powerhouse, who will have to race Omloop without team leaders Mads Pedersen (skipping the race) and Jonathan Milan (focusing on Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne). "Even without them, we have a very strong team that can play multiple strategies. It’s definitely a good opportunity to chase a result. I’ve already learned a lot from Mads—things like how to move through the peloton and where to spend your energy wisely, and more importantly, where not to," said the grateful Czech rider.

Lidl-Trek sports director Steven de Jongh already told us in mid-January that Vacek—along with Daan Hoole—has made significant progress, something Vacek himself credits De Jongh for. "Steven is a great team director. I really enjoy working with him. He has a lot of experience and knows how to pass that knowledge on to us riders in the right way. On top of that, he’s really motivating. All in all, he’s someone you can rely on."