Yellow ORLEN Jersey for the Best

Yellow is the color of victory in cycling. The distinctive shade also belongs to the yellow jersey of the ORLEN general classification winner, which this year was claimed by Jonas Vingegaard of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, winning the 81st Tour de Pologne.

Each year, great stars and young talents fight for victory in the Tour de Pologne. The Polish race is one of the most important stage races in the international calendar and is part of the prestigious UCI World Tour. The demanding route with mountain stages and an individual time trial meant that only the strongest and most versatile riders could compete for the overall ORLEN classification win.

The first leader of the 81st Tour de Pologne was Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek), who won the first stage in Karpacz in beautiful style. “Wearing the leader’s jersey is unbelievable. It’s an amazing feeling,” the Belgian described after beating seasoned climbers in a finish on the steep Orlinek.

The next day saw the individual time trial, where Nys performed much worse. The victory went to Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates), who had significant losses in the overall classification. The 2nd place was taken by Jonas Vingegaard from Team Visma | Lease a Bike — one of the best cyclists in the world, a two-time Tour de France champion.

Due to his achievements and the colors of his Dutch team, it’s not hard to guess what Jonas Vingegaard’s favorite color is. In Karpacz, the Dane swapped his team’s yellow jersey for the yellow leader’s jersey in the ORLEN general classification. Interestingly, in 2019 he also took the lead in the overall standings, but only for one day.

“I hope today’s stage was crucial for the whole race. I was counting on doing well in the individual time trial and also on the leader’s jersey in the general classification,” said Jonas Vingegaard after the second stage.

In the following days, the Dane showcased his class and proved that he belongs to the very top of the world rankings. He didn’t win a stage, but he rode actively and vigilantly. He attacked on the third stage with a finish at Jamrozowa Polana in Duszniki-Zdrój and also controlled dangerous accelerations on the steep climbs around Bukowina Tatrzańska.

In total, he finished in the top 10 on four different stages. His consistency showed that the victory in the ORLEN general classification of the 81st Tour de Pologne was well deserved. “Everything went according to plan. After the Tour de France, I felt I had fully recovered from my injury,” said Jonas Vingegaard in Kraków.

In the ORLEN general classification, the Dane finished ahead of Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) and his teammate, Wilco Kelderman.