The Final Countdown to the Start of the 81st Tour de Pologne
On Monday, August 12, the 81st Tour de Pologne UCI World Tour will kick off from the Centennial Hall in Wrocław. The winners of this week-long competition featuring the world’s cycling elite will be revealed at Krakow’s Błonia Park on Sunday, August 18. The race will feature a star-studded lineup, headlined by two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard. Polish cyclist Rafał Majka, one of the nation’s best, will also compete for his second Tour de Pologne victory.
The Tour de Pologne is the only cycling event in this part of Europe included in the UCI World Tour. The race’s place in this elite series was secured in 2005 by the event’s General Director, Czesław Lang. Poland is one of just 12 countries in the world to host a race in this “cycling Champions League.”
Over 20 years of belonging to the UCI World Tour, Poland’s roads have seen some of the sport’s titans compete, and for many, victory here marked the beginning of a great career. Renowned sprinters like Marcel Kittel and Peter Sagan, who won his first career stage race in Poland in 2011 before going on to win three consecutive world championships, started their journeys here. Young Alberto Contador won on the famous Orlinek climb, while Fabian Cancellara and Bradley Wiggins competed in the Krakow time trial. It was in Poland that the great Remco Evenepoel, a two-time Olympic champion from the Paris Games, first rose to prominence, winning the Tour de Pologne in 2020. Two of the best Polish cyclist in recent years also are on the list of past winners —Michał Kwiatkowski, Poland’s only professional world champion, and Rio de Janeiro Olympic bronze medalist Rafał Majka.
Promoting Poland During the Tour de Pologne
The race is not only a guarantee of thrilling sports action but also an excellent opportunity to showcase the most beautiful parts of our country through hours of stage broadcasts in dozens of countries. This promotion of Poland’s tourist offerings surprises viewers worldwide with the diversity and richness of our nation’s hidden gems.
The Lower Silesian Trio
The 81st edition of the Tour de Pologne UCI World Tour will begin in Wrocław—on August 11, from 6:30 PM, the official team presentation will take place at Plac pod Iglicą in front of the Centennial Hall, and the next day at 12:25 PM, the ceremonial start of the first of three stages in Lower Silesia will take place in the same location. The official start is scheduled for 12:50 PM from Bielany Wrocławskie.
“Wrocław is a city with great cycling traditions, and I am very happy that it is on the race route this year. Many great riders come from here, including those who raced for the Dolmel club, such as Ryszard Szurkowski, Henryk Charucki, Jan Faltyn, and Jan Brzeźny,” says Czesław Lang, General Director of the race.
The inaugural stage is mainly flat. After the start in Wrocław, the cyclists will pass through Sobótka (LOTTO Intermediate Sprint), Tąpadła Pass (PZU Mountain Classification Category III), Świdnica (Soudal Special Sprint), Czarny Bór (LOTTO Intermediate Sprint), Kowarska Pass (PZU Mountain Classification Category II), and Karpacz, where the Lake Hill Special Sprint and the finish line are located. The second stage is a challenging 15-kilometer time trial almost entirely uphill from Mysłakowice to the finish on Orlinek. The final stage in this region will be on the route from Wałbrzych to Duszniki-Zdrój, COS, where Rafał Majka won last year, with Matej Mahorič of Slovenia, the overall race winner, finishing second, and Michał Kwiatkowski third.
Sprinters in Szozda’s Hometown
The middle section of the race will offer sprinters a chance for stage victories. The fourth stage starts in Kudowa-Zdrój, with the peloton finishing in Prudnik—the hometown of Polish cycling legend Stanisław Szozda. The fifth stage starts and ends in Katowice, with much of the route following the “Trail of the Eagles’ Nests.” Along the way, riders will pass through Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska, Mysłowice, Jaworzno, Rabsztyn, Pieskowa Skała, and Ojców.
The Małopolska Finale
The final two stages of this year’s race will take place in Małopolska. On Wednesday, August 16, the cyclists will start in Wadowice and race to the finish line at BUKOVINA Resort.
“After starting in Wadowice, the peloton will pass through Krowiarki Pass, Szaflary, and enter the well-known round. Before reaching the finish, they will climb the BUKOVINA Wall twice and also tackle the HARNAŚ Wall. The finish of this royal stage, which could decide the overall winner in the ORLEN classification, will be at the same place where Rafał Majka and the incredible Belgian Remco Evenepoel triumphed in previous years,” says Czesław Lang.
The final stage will start at the Wieliczka Salt Mine and end traditionally at Krakow’s Błonia Park. Here, we will meet the winner of this DRUTEX stage and the victors of all classifications in the 81st Tour de Pologne—ORLEN general classification, LOTTO most active rider, PZU best climber, ENERGA best sprinter, DECATHLON best team, and ENERGA Grupa ORLEN best Polish rider.
Stages of the 81st Tour de Pologne UCI World Tour, August 12-18, 2024
Stage 1: August 12, WROCŁAW – KARPACZ, 156.1 km
Stage 2: August 13, MYSŁAKOWICE – KARPACZ (individual time trial), 15.4 km
Stage 3: August 14, WAŁBRZYCH – DUSZNIKI-ZDRÓJ, COS, 156.5 km
Stage 4: August 15, KUDOWA-ZDRÓJ – PRUDNIK, 195.3 km
Stage 5: August 16, KATOWICE – KATOWICE, 187.6 km
Stage 6: August 17, WADOWICE – BUKOVINA RESORT, 183.2 km
Stage 7: August 18, WIELICZKA SALT MINE – KRAKÓW, 142.1 km
More information on the 81st Tour de Pologne UCI World Tour: www.tourdepologne.pl
Promoting Cycling
Alongside the professional race, events promoting cycling are also organized. The day before the Tour de Pologne starts, on Sunday, August 11, the ORLEN Tour de Pologne Amateurs will take place for the 15th time. The race will honor the memory of one of Poland’s greatest cyclists—Ryszard Szurkowski. Participants will compete on a demanding nearly 84-kilometer route finishing on the famous Orlinek climb in Karpacz, where professionals will also finish during the first two stages of the 81st Tour de Pologne.
More information on the ORLEN Tour de Pologne Amateurs: tourdepologneamatorow.pl
Meanwhile, during the Tour de Pologne Junior, which has been held alongside the professional race for years, young cycling enthusiasts can feel like their heroes from the peloton and compete on a section of the World Tour route. The Tour de Pologne Junior, whose main sponsor is ORLEN Paliwa, is a Memorial to Marian Więckowski, a distinguished cyclist, coach, and three-time winner of the overall Tour de Pologne. This year, three stages for juniors and cadets are planned, taking place on short urban loops. The first stage will be on August 15 in Prudnik, the second the next day in Katowice, and the third on August 18 in Kraków, on the day of the 81st Tour de Pologne finale.
“Watching the great enthusiasm of these young riders, I am convinced that they will shape the future of Polish cycling. I also hope that among them we will find the successors to Kasia Niewiadoma, Michał Kwiatkowski, or Rafał Majka, and we will be able to cheer for them in the Tour de Pologne,” said Czesław Lang, General Director of Lang Team.
More information on the Tour de Pologne Junior: tourdepolognejunior.pl