The Tour de Pologne teams were presented at the Teatralny Plac in Lublin
We are just hours away from the start of the
78th edition of the Tour de Pologne and the 22 teams attending the
Polish race were revealed at today’s official presentation in Lublin.
Below are some top contenders’ statements on the race kicking off on
Monday 9th and finishing on Sunday 15th. It’ll be seven exciting stages
– including the beloved arrival in Bukovina and the ITT in Katowice –
which will test the riders on all terrains.
Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers)
“It’s always a privilege to compete on home roads. Tour de Pologne was
one of my first big races as a pro in 2012 and I have always dreamt of
winning it in front of Poland’s cycling fans. We made it happen in
2018 and it was one of my proudest moments. I would love to do it again
with the Grenadiers. It’s always a very close race – won or lost by
single seconds, so we have to stay focused from the start of day one.
Some punchy finishes and a TT in Katowice will surely affect the GC.”
Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates)
“The last victories in Sardinia were won on stages that were tailored to
my characteristics and the Tour de Pologne this year features routes
that suit me,” said the Tuscan rider. “I’ve already managed to get on
the podium in the general classification once and I want to confirm that
and also try to fight for the overall. We have a competitive team and
we’ll try to be always there to try to win the stages and get a good
placement in the general classification. At the moment my feelings are
very good, at the beginning of the year I had a heart problem and the
start of the season wasn’t easy but luckily I was able to leave it all
behind quickly, get back my best feelings and get some victories. Morale
is high and I want to do well in the second half of the season. This is
an important appointment so we’ll definitely face this trip with great
motivation. “I’ve ridden the Tour de Pologne several times, it’s a race
I really like. Among the best memories there is definitely the stage I
won in 2013, when the race started from Italy. Michele Scarponi was also
in the team and I always remember those moments with particular
emotion.”
Tomasz Marczyński (Lotto Soudal)
“The Tour de Pologne will be my first race after a pretty long break,
as I rode my last race more than six weeks ago. I am really happy to
resume racing in my country, it’s going to be my 13th – or 14th –
participation in this competition, I guess, and it’s always exciting
to compete in front of my compatriots. In the last month I trained again
to build up my condition, I worked very hard in Sierra Nevada and I am
really looking forward to getting back racing.
We’re going to have a super motivated and fighting team with Oldani,
Wellens, and I think it’s going to be great. It’s also going to be
my last Tour de Pologne as a professional cyclist, so it will be for
sure a special emotion. That’s why I really count on all the Polish fans
who’ve been supporting me all these years. It’s really a beautiful
race, perfectly organized, and this year the route has a big change
compared to last year: also the ITT will be super interesting to race
and watch. I really look forward to being there!”
Nicolas Roche (Team DSM)
“This edition of the Tour de Pologne is undoubtedly different from
other years: there are new arrivals and the time trial comeback. I have
a great memory of the time trial in the city centre. Krakow is beautiful
and I discovered a part of the world I didn’t know before. It’s an
intense race. When you have a WT race with such a high-level line-up, a
finish in the mountains like Bukovina and an important time trial, you
have to spare yourself the first few days to be in top form for the
finish.”
Andrea Pasqualon (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert)
“I really like this edition, there are two or three stages that suit
me well. It will be my second participation in the Tour de Pologne and I
will be happy to be at the start. The route is open to all the riders,
the difficulty of the race is not in the hardness of its climbs but in
the frequency of its many short uphills. For sprinters like us,
there’s definitely three stages – the first, the third and the seventh
– and I’m happy there will also be some quite difficult finishes like
the ones in the second and the fifth stages, which are certainly good
for me. We’ll be at the start with a well-prepared and organized team
and with strong athletes like Quinten Hermans, Belgian cyclo-cross
rider, and Lorenzo Rota, who got a good placement in the Basque Country
last week.
Silvan Dillier (Alpecin-Fenix)
“After the three hard weeks in France, I feel well recovered and in
good shape and I’m looking forward to testing my legs again in the
races. I think it’s a nice race for us as a team with some sprint
opportunities and then some more hilly stages, I believe, towards the
end. In general it’s a nice stage race, and I’m very happy to be at
the start.”
Toms Skujiņš (Trek – Segafredo)
“I’ve ridden the TDP once before, but actually, when coming up
through the continental teams, I raced quite a lot in Poland and, every
time I go back, or drive through, or race there, and when I did the TDP
last time, it really brought back some really nice memories of racing as
a young kid and of friends from my city, and I am really looking forward
to getting back. It’s always a nice race: people are nice and the race
isn’t really hard. The most difficult aspect of TDP is aggressive
racing, as there are many hilly sections and never really flat legs, so
it’s quite unpredictable and exciting for both the people to watch and
the riders to race. It’s hard to say how I’m feeling right now
because, having had a big block of races, now I am taking a few easy
days and the TDP will be the first race I am back after Tokyo, I’ll
see the family again and hope my legs won’t ‘disappear’ but I
don’t have too high expectations for it just yet.”
Giovanni Aleotti (BORA – hansgrohe)
“I’m looking forward to racing in Poland,” he commented. “There are not
many real mountain stages but the second from Zamość to Przemyśl, the
fourth in Bukovina and the fifth finishing in Bielsko-Biała may be
within my reach, with short climbs and uphill finishes. These stages,
along with the time trial, will undoubtedly be decisive for the overall
classification. The Tour de Pologne is a World Tour race and the level
is very high but we have a great team and we will try to get good
results.”
Matteo Sobrero (Astana – Premier Tech)
“I’m looking forward to racing in Poland. It’s my first race after a
break from the Giro d’Italia, so I’m looking forward to racing with the
team again and, of course, the ITT stage will be one I’m aiming to do
well.”
Matej Mohorič (Bahrain – Victorious)
I rode Tour de Pologne many times and I like it. This year they have
changed the course slightly, it’s a little bit more punchy, there are
less long climbs and I’d say it suits me a bit better. Dylan (Teuns) and
I will aim at getting a good GC placements and I’ll also for sure look
for any good opportunities to win a stage. I am eager to start racing.
Dylan Teuns (Bahrain – Victorious)
It’s my first race since the TDF and I’m very motivated and will
definitely do my best to get good results. And who knows, maybe I will
be lucky and good enough to relive the emotions of a few years ago.
Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal)
The course looks really nice, I’d say it’s a bit less hard then in the
past but hard enough to make it challenging of course. The ITT looks
quite interesting with technical up and down.