Tour de Pologne again a success in terms of spectator numbers
A recent study by Pentagon Research has shown that cycling is becoming increasingly popular in Poland, thanks to events such as the Tour de Pologne. Poland’s biggest cycling race attracted three and a half million people along the route! “I have been organising this race for exactly 30 years and its prestige grows every year,” said Czeslaw Lang, President of Lang Team.
2023 was a truly exceptional year for fans and organisers of the Tour de Pologne UCI WorldTour. The 80th edition of the race, themed ’95 years of Tour de Pologne’, crossed Poland from Poznań to Krakow, where Matej Mohorič (Team Bahrain Victorious) was confirmed as the winner of the ORLEN general classification. Second – 2021 winner – João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) and third – Michał Kwiatkowski (INEOS Grenadiers), while Rafał Majka (UAE Team Emirates) won the third stage in Duszniki-Zdrój.
The talented riders who compete each year in the only WorldTour race in this part of Europe are a great opportunity for fans to get involved and support their favourites. This year, more than 3.5 million people travelled the route of the Tour de Pologne, undoubtedly the most watched race in Poland, ahead of the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia.
2023 was also the 30th anniversary for Czeslaw Lang and his team. In fact, it was back in 1993 that the Moscow silver medallist started to take over the organisation of the race. “I have been involved in the organisation of the race for 30 years. Every year the event grows, we attract new sponsors and the Tour de Pologne has become a great promotional platform in Poland thanks to the many hours of broadcasting in over 100 countries. Moreover, the best teams and riders come here to race against each other“.
The Lang Team is not only focused on professional cycling. An important value for the company is to promote an active lifestyle. This is one of the reasons why Czeslaw Lang organize every year the ORLEN Lang Team Races. Today, according to research, cycling is the most popular physical exercise among Poles, even as a leisure activity, which has led to the development of appropriate infrastructure. The growing number of participants in the ORLEN Lang Team Race, which also includes the Ryszard Szurkowski Memorial and the ORLEN Tour de Pologne Amatorów, is proof of this. “This year, more than three thousand runners took part in the series, which took place in the cities of Arłamów, Karpacz and Bytów.” said Czesław Lang.
Last but not least, the great successes achieved by the red-and-white professionals in recent years, such as Michał Kwiatkowski’s world title, Rafał Majka’s Olympic bronze medal and the victories of the newly crowned gravel world champion – Kasia Niewiadoma in the women’s race – have played an important role in raising awareness.
“I am absolutely thrilled with the way my beloved discipline is developing in Poland. And knowing that I have contributed even in a small way doubles my joy. Cycling is a beautiful sport. It would be foolish not to take advantage of it in every possible way! – emphasises Czeslaw Lang.
In 2024, Lang Team will organise a number of events such as the famous Tour de Pologne and the ever evolving ORLEN Nations Grand Prix (part of the UCI Nations Cup U23), but also the Tour de Pologne Women will be brought back after an 8-year break.
ORLEN Nations Grand Prix – 15-19.05.2024
Tour de Pologne Women – 28-30.06.2024
Tour de Pologne UCI WorldTour – 12-18.08.2024