Polish riders fought for the LOTTO most active rider classification

The prestigious LOTTO most active rider classification has been sought after for years by persistent escapees fighting for points in intermediate sprints. This year, the blue jersey in the 81st Tour de Pologne UCI WorldTour was won by one of Poland’s representatives, Norbert Banaszek.

In addition to the world’s top teams, every year riders from the Polish national team also compete in the Tour de Pologne. Thanks to a wild card entry, they get the opportunity to race against riders who usually compete in the World Tour. The Polish team frequently makes its presence felt in the race by fighting for the valuable jerseys of leaders in various classifications, including the LOTTO most active rider classification. The same was true during the 81st Tour de Pologne, held in August.

On the first stage, a four-man breakaway formed, which included three Poles — the national champion Norbert Banaszek, Michał Paluta fighting for the PZU best climber classification, and Szymon Sajnok from the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. Sajnok, a sprinter, and Banaszek battled at the first LOTTO intermediate sprint, with the Swiss team rider proving fastest. Similar results were seen in Czarny Bór, where the second sprint was located. Thanks to these results, Szymon Sajnok donned the blue jersey of the LOTTO most active rider classification leader after finishing in Karpacz.

“I have very positive impressions from today’s stage; there were a lot of fans all along the route from Wrocław to Karpacz. They gave us a wonderful welcome and cheered us on. I’m very happy because racing in such conditions is fantastic. Taking this blue jersey to the race’s finish in Kraków will be very difficult. Today’s plan was to win it, and it worked,” Szymon Sajnok said after finishing in Karpacz.

The former world champion in track cycling started the time trial planned for the next day in the blue jersey, which he kept until the finish. In the following mountainous stage, riders who excelled in the hills took over, so neither Szymon Sajnok nor Norbert Banaszek were in the breakaway group fighting for points.

The important moment for the LOTTO most active rider classification came on the fourth stage from Kudowa-Zdrój to Prudnik. Szymon Sajnok was active from the start, joined by Michał Paluta from the Polish national team, the leader of the PZU King of the Mountains classification. Norbert Banaszek gave chase, but he couldn’t catch the duo, missing out on the chance to increase his points total.

Szymon Sajnok capitalized by winning the first LOTTO intermediate sprint. After a while, Norbert Banaszek tried attacking again and caught up with the leaders, but cooperation in the group didn’t go well, and the peloton caught the breakaway. The next opportunity for a fight came the next day in Katowice and the Kraków-Częstochowa Jura region.

Before the start, however, it turned out that due to illness, Szymon Sajnok had to withdraw from the race, losing his chance to claim the blue jersey. The misfortune of the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team rider made the task a bit easier for Norbert Banaszek, although he still had to face riders from foreign teams in the LOTTO intermediate sprints. The Polish champion showed great speed and donned the blue jersey on the podium. As it turned out, he held onto the lead until the race’s finish in Kraków.

“I knew that the blue most active rider jersey was within my reach this year, and I did everything I could to achieve that goal. Last year, I raced in the Tour de Pologne for the first time, and I saw how Patryk Stosz fought for that jersey and what it takes to win it. I think I carried out the task 100%, and I’m really satisfied. Fighting in front of so many fans on the course of Poland’s most important race, with people chanting my name, gives me goosebumps and is an incredibly enjoyable experience,” Norbert Banaszek described the extraordinary experience.

The Polish national team riders in the 81st Tour de Pologne won two jerseys — the winner of the LOTTO most active rider classification and the PZU best climber classification.