Before Škoda made cars, it made bicycles.
That may sound like a surprising beginning for a brand known today for cars that travel across cities, highways, and countries. But cycling is not a new chapter in the Škoda story. It is where the story began.
In 1895, Václav Laurin and Václav Klement began building bicycles in Mladá Boleslav, establishing the Laurin & Klement business the following year. More than a century later, that early connection with two wheels has grown into one of the most enduring relationships between an automotive brand and cycling. From the roads of the Tour de France to mountain biking and gravel racing, Škoda’s association with cycling has continued to evolve while staying connected to its origins.
It is a history shaped by movement, competition, and an enduring belief in building something worth riding.
Škoda’s cycling story began with an unlikely source of inspiration: a bicycle that could not be repaired.
In 1894, Václav Klement sent his bicycle for servicing and received it back unrepaired. The experience prompted him to consider making bicycles himself. Soon after, he met mechanic Václav Laurin, and the two joined forces. Their business was formally established in Mladá Boleslav on 1 January 1896.
Their first bicycle, the Slavia, was made for both men and women, with a tandem following soon after. The attention to practicality was evident from the start. Its air-filled tyres were even tested underwater for 24 hours to ensure the bearings remained protected.
The thinking was simple: make the ride better, more practical and more considered. Decades before “Simply Clever” became a defining Škoda philosophy, that instinct was already taking shape.
The story did not stay on two wheels for long.
In 1899, Laurin & Klement added an engine to a bicycle frame. Two motorcycle models were unveiled in Prague that November. By the spring of 1900, the company had already shipped 150 motorcycles to Great Britain, following orders from Germany the previous year.
Then came the automobile.
In 1905, Laurin & Klement built its first car, marking the beginning of the journey towards the Škoda Auto of today.
But the move from bicycles to motorcycles and then automobiles did not mean leaving cycling behind. The instinct that had driven the company from the beginning remained. Build, test, improve and take it further.
That spirit soon found its way into competition.
By 1901, Laurin & Klement was already putting its machines to the test. The Paris–Berlin Marathon became one of its earliest major racing challenges.
Works rider Narcis Podsedníček rode a Type B motorcycle over the 1,196-kilometre route from Paris to Berlin. The three-stage course included rough, unpaved stretches and cobblestones, with punctures from nails, glass and gravel adding to the challenge. He reached Berlin two days later, although his official finish time was never recorded.
The result may not have been a victory, but it marked the beginning of something significant. Within four years, Laurin & Klement machines had secured a motorcycle world championship title.
Competition had become another way to push the limits of engineering. It was a spirit that would continue to shape the brand’s relationship with the road and, eventually, with cycling.
More than a century after the first Slavia bicycles were built, Škoda’s relationship with cycling entered a new era.
In 2004, Škoda became the official main and vehicle partner of the Tour de France. At the centre of its involvement was the Tour Director’s mobile command centre, known as the Red Car. Equipped with radio antennae, microphones and multiple radio channels, it allows the race director to coordinate the action while on the road.
The Red Car has evolved alongside Škoda’s technology. The Enyaq joined the role in 2020, becoming the first fully electric Red Car, while in 2026, the all-electric Peaq became the latest model to take on the role. Since 2019, the Tour’s Race Director has used electrified Škoda models as Red Cars.
It is one visible example of how a partnership that began with vehicles has continued to evolve with the brand.
Škoda’s involvement extends across the Tour itself. Its fleet supports race management, teams and organisers, while neutral support vehicles provide assistance on the road.
The brand has also become part of the Tour’s visual identity. After supporting the white jersey for the young rider classification from 2004 to 2014, Škoda has been associated with the green jersey since 2015. Since 2011, Škoda Design has also created the Czech crystal trophies awarded to the Tour’s overall winner and classification leaders.
These elements have given the partnership a presence that reaches beyond the cars on the road and into the race itself.
Over time, Škoda’s involvement has expanded beyond the Tour de France. In 2022, the brand became the main partner of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, while its wider cycling partnerships include La Vuelta a España, La Vuelta Femenina, La Flèche Wallonne and the Peace Race.
Its involvement has also moved beyond road racing. In 2025, Škoda became an official partner of both the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships and the UCI Gravel World Championships.
Alongside professional racing, WeLoveCycling.com provides a dedicated space for cycling stories, while ambassadors and grassroots initiatives extend the connection to the wider cycling community.
From the Tour’s biggest stages to mountain bikes, gravel and everyday riding, the scope has grown. The connection to cycling has remained.
There is something fitting about the way this story has unfolded.
In 1895, Škoda’s story began with a bicycle. In 2004, that heritage found a place at the heart of the Tour de France. In 2026, the brand marked its 23rd consecutive year as the Tour’s official main partner, supporting the race with an electrified fleet and witnessing Tadej Pogačar claim his fifth Tour victory.
The technology has changed. The races have evolved. The bicycles of today bear little resemblance to the Slavia.
And yet, one idea has remained constant: the desire to build something worth riding.
Now, more than 130 years after its first batch of bicycles took shape in Mladá Boleslav, that story is travelling further. In October 2026, Škoda’s connection with cycling will take a new turn as L’Étape Mysuru by Tour de France, presented by Škoda, brings the experience of the iconic cycling series to Indian roads for the first time.
Set against the heritage of Mysuru, the event will bring riders together across competitive, recreational and family categories. It is a fitting setting for a brand whose relationship with cycling began with two wheels more than a century ago.
The global Škoda cycling legacy is coming to India. And in Mysuru, a new chapter is ready to begin.
Stay tuned for our next announcement to discover what’s next.