Another day in the mountains
The 81st Tour de Pologne started with a bang. Two mountain stages have already provided plenty of excitement, and this is just the beginning. On Wednesday, the riders will tackle another mountain stage, this time starting from the Stara Kopalnia in Wałbrzych and finishing on the climb to COS Jamrozowa Polana in Duszniki-Zdrój. The route is filled with climbs, and the limited radio communication between the riders and their sports directors should make the racing even more interesting!
The first two stages of the 81st Tour de Pologne are behind us. The race began at the Centennial Hall in Wrocław and then climbed to Orlinek, where the talented Thibau Nys from Lidl-Trek emerged victorious. In yesterday’s time trial, also up to Orlinek – similar to the one where Alberto Contador achieved his first professional victory – the more experienced riders came to the fore. Belgian champion Tim Wellens, who has previously won the general classification of the Tour de Pologne, triumphed.
The yellow ORLEN jersey for the leader of the general classification was claimed by Jonas Vingegaard from Team Visma | Lease a Bike, a two-time Tour de France winner and a stage winner at the 2019 Tour de Pologne.
Today, we can expect more great excitement on the 156-kilometer stage from Stara Kopalnia in Wałbrzych to the climb to COS Jamrozowa Polana in Duszniki-Zdrój. The stage is packed with climbs, as evidenced by the four PZU mountain primes – at the Walim Pass, Jugowska Pass, St. Anne’s Mountain, and Karlów, which the riders will pass through twice. Today’s stage promises to be one of the most crucial in the fight for the PZU best climber’s jersey, currently held by Polish rider Michał Paluta. The route will also feature one intermediate sprint, where the riders will compete for points in the LOTTO active rider classification in Pieszyce.
“We are still in Lower Silesia — starting in Wałbrzych, followed by many tough climbs. The finish will be at Jamrozowa Polana in Duszniki-Zdrój, where Rafał Majka won last year ahead of Michał Kwiatkowski. Before that, the riders will face very difficult climbs, with a total elevation gain of over 3,000 meters. Among others, Walim, Srebrna Góra, and practically all the climbs in the area,” described Czesław Lang, General Director of the Tour de Pologne.
Last year’s stage and the Polish highlights left a strong impression on us, and we can expect a similar scenario this time. The first two stages have shown that the big stars came to the Tour de Pologne to fight for the win. The gaps in the general classification are not small, but there are still many opportunities left in the race to change the current situation, which the well-prepared UAE Team Emirates, featuring Rafał Majka, Tim Wellens, Diego Ulissi, Felix Grossschartner, and Jan Christen, will surely attempt to do.
On Polish roads, we will witness a great showdown between this team and Team Visma | Lease a Bike, which currently occupies the top two places in the general classification. Jonas Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France winner, leads, followed by Wilco Kelderman.
Today’s stage favorites also include riders like Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek), who could aim for his second stage win, or Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ), Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers), and Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious). The mountainous route from Wałbrzych to Duszniki-Zdrój is conducive to attacks, and the limited radio communication could also create some positive chaos. Only two riders from each team will start today’s stage with earpieces allowing communication with their sports directors. We can therefore expect active and spontaneous racing from the world’s best cyclists!