Kudowa-Zdrój, Prudnik, and Katowice also in the Program for the 81st Tour de Pologne!

The middle section of the 81st Tour de Pologne will be a chance for the fastest riders in the peloton to fight for victory. The fourth stage, in memory of Stanisław Szozda, will be routed from Kudowa-Zdrój to Prudnik and will favor the sprinters. The following day, the riders will face a tougher challenge through the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland and the Trail of the Eagles’ Nests, with both the start and finish of the fifth stage in Katowice.

The first three stages of this year’s 81st edition of the Tour de Pologne will be entirely held in Lower Silesia. It’s worth recalling that on the first day, the cyclists will race from Wrocław to Karpacz. The next day, they will tackle a several-kilometer time trial from Mysłakowice up the Orlinek climb in Karpacz. The third stage will also be challenging, leading along a tough route from Wałbrzych to Duszniki-Zdrój.

On the fourth day, the peloton will leave the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. The start will be in the picturesque Kudowa-Zdrój, from where the race will head towards Prudnik – the city where the outstanding Polish cyclist Stanisław Szozda was born. In his career, he won two Olympic silver medals, stood on the World Championship podium five times, and won both the Peace Race and the Tour de Pologne.

The victory in Stanisław Szozda’s hometown should be contested by sprinters – this will be the first opportunity for the fastest riders in the peloton in the 81st Tour de Pologne.

“The fourth stage will be dedicated to the great cyclist and my dear friend Staś Szozda, as we will finish in Prudnik, where he was born and lived. We start from Kudowa-Zdrój, over 200 kilometers – I think it will be a more sprinter-friendly stage and the whole peloton will arrive together,” described Czesław Lang, General Director of the Tour de Pologne.

The next day, the riders will visit Katowice, a regular feature on the Tour de Pologne route. Last year, the Italian Mattia Cattaneo won the individual time trial here, and before him, winners included Remi Cavagna, Fabio Jakobsen, and Pascal Ackermann. The fifth stage of the 81st Tour de Pologne will start and finish in the capital of the Silesian Voivodeship, and much of it will run along the “Trail of the Eagles’ Nests.” The Tour de Pologne also serves as a promotion for Polish regions, and this one has a lot to offer. Along the way, the riders will pass through places such as Mysłowice, Jaworzno, Rabsztyn, Pieskowa Skała, and Ojców. The Kraków-Częstochowa Upland is hilly, and this character will define this segment.

“The fifth stage will start and finish in Katowice, but it will also be a unique stage. We will travel along the ‘Trail of the Eagles’ Nests’ – passing through Mysłowice, Jaworzno, we want to showcase the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland to the viewers and riders. It will not be an easy stage, as the elevation gain will be around 1500 meters. In terms of tourism, it will be a beautiful stage, much like those in Lower Silesia,” acknowledged Czesław Lang, emphasizing the charm of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland and its castles, the famous “Eagles’ Nests.”