The winner of the Tour de France will once again raise a trophy made by Bohemian glass makers
The Czech glassmaking and design company LASVIT has once again crafted the trophy for the famous Tour de France bicycle race. And it was once again Peter Olah, interior design director for ŠKODA AUTO, who designed this now-iconic trophy. ŠKODA continues to be Tour de France’s long-term leading partner.
This is the eleventh time that Peter Olah of ŠKODA AUTO, in cooperation with LASVIT, has made the trophy for Tour de France, the most challenging and established bicycle race in the world. “The cup’s shape was inspired by the race itself. The lower part is as wide as the number of racers. Around the middle, it becomes more profiled, and this is symbolized also by the narrowing of the trophy. This leaves only a few possible winners, but there can be only one true winner, and this is symbolized by the trophy’s single highest point,” says Peter Olah, interior design director of ŠKODA AUTO.
Nature, ecology and clean energy – these are the central motifs which the trophy for the 108th year of Tour de France embodies. “This year, the technique for the trophy’s decoration is again novel. The design is a challenge for each new year, and for this year’s Tour de France trophy I was very much inspired by nature. This décor is reminiscent of blades of grass, or of flowers growing from the cup. They give the trophy a natural, almost feminine character,” describes Olah.
The elegant trophies have been made from one single piece of hand-blown and hand-crafted crystal glass. Each trophy weighs almost four kilograms and is over sixty centimeters high. The blowing and meticulous hand carving took the glassmakers hundreds of hours of diligent work. Each piece has been adorned with crisp and precise cuts, and their rotary contours are reminiscent of crystalline formations. The final rendition of certain components takes a master glasscutter some three weeks to make. “Blood sweat and tears, but also passion and the drive to overcome great challenges – that is what glassmaking and cycling both share. We are glad that we can show the whole world how Czech brands, such as ŠKODA AUTO and LASVIT, are able to inspire the world together and connect modern design, traditional craft and sports,” says Leon Jakimič, owner and president of LASVIT.
The glassmaking and design company LASVIT has become famous for its unique glass objects and lights, which it has been delivering to clients all around the world. The company also has long-term experience with the making of original trophies, sculptures and awards.
Apart from the winners of the famous Tour de France race, many stars of world-class tennis have also received a trophy made by LASVIT in the past – for example Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray, the winners of the prestigious Mudabala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi. A glass trophy will also be presented to the medalists from the Tokyo Olympic Games or the tennis-players of the WTA Livesport Prague Open.
LASVIT is a Czech-based designer and manufacturer of bespoke lighting installations and glass objects. Since its foundation in 2007, the company’s mission has been to inspire the world with the beauty of Bohemian glass.
LASVIT is a young company, yet it builds on the long history of glassmaking in Northern Bohemia. The founder of LASVIT, Leon Jakimič, has great respect for the glassmaking tradition, but also enthusiasm for cutting-edge design and modern technologies. Tailor-made lighting pieces are entangled with the genius loci of each specific place. We create storytelling designs.
