🚨 WorldTour teams on red alert as Pavel Novák's release clause is revealed 🇨🇿
The 20-year-old had a memorable Giro d'Italia Next Gen and could be available for around €100,000
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Pavel Novák, who won the final mountain stage at the Giro d'Italia Next Gen on the summit of Prato Nevoso, following an audacious long-range attack, could be on his way to the WorldTour next season, despite having a three-year deal in place with MBH Bank Ballan CSB.
The 20-year-old finished third overall in the Italian stage race behind winner Jakob Omrzel and Luke Tuckwell.
A former junior national champion, Novák has had stagiaire stints at both Q36.5 Pro Cycling and Jayco AlUla in the last two years.
COVID disrupted his time at Jayco, but he won the Trofeo Piva last season and finished fifth overall in the Giro d'Italia Next Gen.
He signed a three-year contract with MBH Bank Ballan CSB at the start of this season, and while the team have plans to step up into the ProTeam ranks in 2026, we have learned that there’s a clause within Novák’s contract that would allow him to join a bigger team if compensation is paid.
We understand that the amount required is approximately €100,000.
Such an amount certainly wouldn’t put off any of the WorldTour squads looking for a new climbing talent. While most of the top ten from the Next Gent Giro have long-term deals in place with established WorldTour development teams, Novák would be a relatively easy pick-up for teams looking to improve their rosters.
At this stage, there’s no guarantee that a move will take place. We spoke to a couple of WorldTour teams that weren’t aware of the rider’s possible availability, but the results in the Giro will undoubtedly lead to enquiries.
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