Lukas Bauer began with sports in the Skoda Ostrov Club at the age of 8, but this club was focused more on bringing the sport and fun closer to kids than on results... He moved to Slovan Karlovy Vary when he was fourteen to be more focused on the results... Right from the beginning Bauer came to the sport group of coach Miroslav Petrasek, who has been his personal coach until this year... he reached his first podium in the Czech Nationals at the age of seventeen and one year later he became a member of the Junior National Team. He competed in the Junior World Championships in 1996 in Asiago (17th place over 10km C; 7th place in relay; 37th place over 30km F). In Calgary, a year after he took his first international medal, which was a silver, in the 30km F and showed strong performances with a 4th place in relay and a 8th in 10km C.

These results gained him access to the Czech World Championships team for Trondheim 1997.From the JWCH in Calgary he flew directly to his first World Championships in Trondheim. He took part in 10km C (47th) and relay (8th). His first Olympics were the 1998 Nagano Games and his first World Cup podium was the second place in Kuusamo in 2001 over 15km C. Shortly after that he won his first World Cup in Nove Mesto na Morave 2002 over 15km F.

Normally Bauer prefers classic style to skating but he is an universal skier, who can succeed in both techniques. His best season was 2007/08 when he won the overall World Cup standing as well as the second edition of the FIS Tour de Ski. In 2010, he won the FIS Tour de Ski again becoming the first man ever to achieve this.

His first Olympic medal win was in Torino 2006 where came second over 15km C. In Vancouver he added two bronze medals, over 15 km free technique and in relay.

Bauer had some difficult seasons due to health problems, especially the winters 2007 and 2009, but for both World Championships he was well prepared and finished on the podium with a 5th place over 50 km 2007 and the second place over 15 km classic in Liberec. Lukas Bauer is the first Czech cross-country athlete who has won the Big Crystal globe for the overall World Cup winner (2007/08) and the first Czech cross-country male athlete who won World Cup competitions.