Best Polish climber back in Tour de Pologne. “When Majka competes, it’s never boring”

Rafał Majka made it into the team for the 81st Tour de Pologne, UAE Team Emirates announced. It will be a symbolic start, marking the tenth anniversary of Pole’s incredible victory in the national race. – One thing you have to admit. When Majka competes in Tour de Pologne, it’s never boring – smiles one of the best riders in the history of Polish cycling.

It certainly wasn’t boring in 2014. Majka came to Poland almost straight from the Tour de France, a race in which he knocked down the door to cycling’s elite. He won two stages and also took the polka-dot jersey for the winner for the best climber. Even though he complained that his legs were no longer fully fresh after the Alps and Pyrenees, he gave a real show of racing in the Tatras, too.

He determined the fate on two stages – 5th, with the finish in Styrbské Pleso and 6th, around Bukovina. – At the end I threw a bomb so hard that no one could stand it – he joked after the second victory. For Polish fans, it was a huge thrill. We had not seen a Pole win the Tour de Pologne for a decade!

Majka sealed his yellow jersey during the time trial, in the Krakow market square, the place where the Tour de Pologne will finish, also now, after 10 years.

A lot has changed since 2014. From the Tinkoff-Saxo team, Rafal moved to Bora-Hansgrohe and has been spending last few years alongside the sensational Tadej Pogacar at UAE Team Emirates. He added one Tour de France stage, two Vuelta a’Espana stages and the general classification of Tour of Slovenia to his palmares.

Last year, after an exciting battle with Michal Kwiatkowski and Matej Mohoric, he won a stage of the Tour de Pologne again, after nine years, crossing the finishing line at the stadium of the Central Sports Centre in Jakuszyce. This one is also planned for 2024 race. We have no doubt – Rafal certainly has his sights set on it.

– One thing you have to admit. When Majka competes in the Tour de Pologne, it’s never boring – says Polish cyclist, who will turn 35 in September. We admit. Rafał Majka is a guarantee of combat and excitement.