Team Visma | Lease a Bike Takes It All in Krakow!
The 81st Tour de Pologne traditionally concluded at Krakow’s Błonia Park. Sprinters fought for the win, with Olav Kooij from Team Visma | Lease a Bike emerging as the fastest. The Dutch team secured the two most prestigious prizes today, as Jonas Vingegaard triumphed in the general classification.
On the final day of competition in the 81st Tour de Pologne, the riders competed on a 142-kilometer route from the Wieliczka Salt Mine to Krakow, where a sprint finish was expected at Błonia. Given the experiences of previous years, the riders set a strong pace, hoping to establish a significant breakaway.
However, they were unsuccessful, and four riders broke away from the peloton– Marcin Budziński from the Polish national team, Remi Cavagna (Movistar Team), Archie Ryan, and Jack Rootkin-Gray from EF Education-EasyPost. The peloton didn’t ignore the breakaways– sprint teams were keen to keep them in check and lead to a group finish.
Marcin Budziński dominated the intermediate sprints, winning the LOTTO sprint in Myślenice, the Soudal special sprint in Czernichów, and the Decathlon special sprint in Kaszów. The Pole was in excellent form today, as he demonstrated in the final stages of the race, staying at the front for a long time alongside Archie Ryan. Sprint teams were chasing from behind, with the general classification leader Jonas Vingegaard from ORLEN setting the pace at one point.
The chase succeeded a few kilometers before the finish, and Olav Kooij from Team Visma | Lease a Bike took the victory, his second win in this year’s edition of the race. Tim Merlier (Soudal – Quick Step) and Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché – Wanty) finished in the next positions.
“After yesterday, we knew we were in a good position in the general classification, so we wanted to finish the race with a strong sprint and maintain our lead in the general classification. This gave me extra motivation, and Jonas’s effort and support were crucial. He was very strong today, hats off to him,” commented Olav Kooij.
The highest-finishing Pole was Stanisław Aniołkowski, racing for the French team Cofidis, who finished in 13th place today.
“My lead-out man, Alexis Renard, maybe a bit too early, showed me to ‘sit’ behind Alberto Dainese from Tudor. He went, and I wanted to wait a little longer before making my move, but we got covered from behind. At that point, there was nothing I could do, I didn’t even sprint. I think I waited too long again. I’m finishing this race without a podium, which was my goal. It’s hard to swallow right now, but I have to move on,” described the Polish sprinter.
In the ORLEN general classification, Jonas Vingegaard confidently held onto the lead, adding a Tour de Pologne victory to his two Tour de France triumphs. On the podium at Krakow’s Błonia, Diego Ulissi from UAE Team Emirates also stood, winning the best sprinter classification Energa, Grupa ORLEN, along with Wilco Kelderman.
“Everything went according to plan. After the Tour de France, I felt that I had fully recovered from my injury. This season, I’ve learned to enjoy the moments and not make long-term plans. Now I need some rest, and then I’ll think about the future,” said a happy Jonas Vingegaard.
“I managed to hold onto second place in the general classification, and I’m pleased with that. In an ideal scenario, we would have won the stage, but Thibau Nys was very strong in this type of finish. When I arrived in Poland, I didn’t expect to finish the Tour de Pologne on the podium, so I’m very happy with this result,” said Diego Ulissi.
The winner of the best climber classification, PZU, was Michał Paluta from the Polish national team, who fought bravely in breakaways throughout the week.
“Today, I just had to reach the finish, so the pressure was a bit less. But when we started today, the pace was really high. On the first short climbs, I saw that the sprinters were struggling to stay with the main group. The breakaway set a very high pace, which translated to a very high pace in the peloton. It worked out, or rather, I worked hard for this victory in the best climber classification. I’ve been trying to win this jersey for many years, but luck hasn’t always been on my side, and I couldn’t always capitalize on good legs. This year, together with my coach Sylwester Szmyd, we aimed to come to the Tour de Pologne in top form. I’m very grateful to my coach because only he knows how to best prepare me and how my body responds to the load. Sylwester Szmyd is not only my coach but also my mentor,” described Michał Paluta.
The blue polka-dot jersey isn’t the only one won by the Polish national team in this year’s Tour de Pologne. Polish champion Norbert Banaszek also appeared on the podium in Krakow, earning the victory in the LOTTO most active rider classification through his aggressive riding.
“I knew that the blue jersey for the most active rider was within my reach this year, and I tried my best to achieve that goal. Last year was my first time in the Tour de Pologne, and I saw how Patryk Stosz fought for this jersey and what needs to be done to achieve it. I think I did my job 100%, and I’m really satisfied. Racing in front of so many fans on the course of the most important race in Poland, with them chanting my name, gives you goosebumps and is incredibly enjoyable,” commented Polish champion Norbert Banaszek at the finish.
The cyclists competing in the 81st Tour de Pologne delivered great excitement over 7 days of racing, with the world’s best riders triumphing on the stages and in the classifications. We can already look forward to next year’s 82nd edition of the Tour de Pologne!
Best riders on stage 7 of 81st Tour de Pologne
DRUTEX Stage Winner: Olav Kooij (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
DECATHLON Team General Classification: UAE Team Emirates
ENERGA GRUPA ORLEN Prime for the Best Polish Rider: Stanisław Aniołkowski (Cofidis)
Polish Television Special Prize: Rafał Majka (UAE Team Emirates)
Soudal Special Prize: Marcin Budziński (Polish National Team)
Decathlon Special Prize: Marcin Budziński (Polish National Team)
Winners of the classifications in the 81st Tour de Pologne
ORLEN General Classification: Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma I Lease a Bike)
PZU Best Climber Classification: Michał Paluta (Polish National Team)
ENERGA Sprinter Classification: Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates)
LOTTO Most Active Rider Classification: Norbert Banaszek (Polish National Team)
Bjorg Lambrecht Special Classification for the Best Young Rider: Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ)