We take a look at the exciting and varied route for the seven-day WorldTour stage race the Tour de Pologne.
Preview of the 68th edition
An event that continues to grow in profile with every edition, the Tour de Pologne – or Tour of Poland – is one of the most intriguing and most difficult to predict events of the season with an exciting mix of young and established talent on show.
Starting with a short sprint stage in the nation’s capital Warsaw before relocating to the south of the country, the race increases its efforts to be fan-friendly on a yearly basis with start and finishing circuits allowing fans multiple glimpses of their cycling heroes.
Once again the seven-day stage race combines flat sprint stages with tough climbs where the general classification will be decided, meaning there is something for everyone on the Polish roads.
Team Sky arrive at the WorldTour event with a strong squad made up of Kjell Carlström, Steve Cummings, Chris Froome, Peter Kennaugh, Thomas Löfkvist, Lars-Petter Nordhaug, Morris Possoni and Ian Stannard.
Sunday 31 July – Stage one: Pruszkow to Warszawa – 101.5km
The race gets under way with a gently undulating sprinters’ stage which heads into the centre of Warsaw. The peloton roll out from Pruszkow as the race winds itself out of the centre of the city before making its way north-east. The riders deviate from their course at the Ul. Lupuszanska before looping around the southern outskirts of the destination city. The race takes a quick anti-clockwise lap around Ursynow before continuing north en route to the day’s finishing circuit. Identical to last year, the field will take in eight laps of the 8.1km course with sprint points up for grabs. The bunch sprint is sure to be hotly contested with a slight ramp up ahead of the final kilometre.
TV coverage: Next day highlights (Monday 1st) on British Eurosport between 1500-1630.
Monday 1 August – Stage two: Czestochowa to Dabrowa Górnicza – 162km
Gentle undulations are once again the order of the day for another fast and furious stage as the race moves south. The day’s route criss-crosses the region and begins with a run east towards Janow before plummeting south and through the town of Myszkow (36.5km). The field take in a sprint point at Zawiercie before turning sharply back on itself with sprint points up for grabs on the run into Mierzecice (90.7km). From there the riders must tackle a technical twisting run-in to the finish area before four laps of a 5.6km finishing circuit. A straightforward out-and-back rectangle with two short climbs shouldn’t pose any problems to a field in search of a second consecutive bunch sprint.
TV coverage: Live on British Eurosport between 1630-1800 with highlights at 2000-2100.
Tuesday 2 August – Stage three: Bedzin to Katowice – 135.7km
An interesting and technical stage, day three begins with two brief 4.2km opening circuits around Bedzin to get things going. Once out of the town the race drops south before skirting back on itself for a sprint point at Sosnowiec (18.6km). From there the riders head back north-west through Czeladz to set up a jagged run down to the focal point of the day. The race hits Katowice with a small rise to hand out mountains points before embarking on eight laps of a technical 11.2km course. A number of tight corners and even a dead turn as the race crosses the local river on each lap will mean that positioning is vital, especially in the closing stages. A slightly downhill kick to the line should provide plenty of fireworks in the sprint.
TV coverage: Live on British Eurosport between 1630-1800 with highlights at 2000-2100.
Wednesday 3 August – Stage four: Oswiecim - Cieszyn – 180km
The climbs begin on day four as the race enters the mountains for the first time. A tough stage begins with a gradual climb from the flag before ramping up steeply on the Przelecz Koniakowska (75.5km). Despite being the highest point in the stage the climb is not categorised, but leads straight into three passes of the first category Kubalonka within the space of 40km. The peloton should be thinned out significantly as the race’s overall contenders begin to come to the fore. From there the riders descend down into the day’s finishing circuit and three 6.3km laps that take the race over the Czech border. A short but tough climb on each lap will make life difficult and could see one final attack launch into a likely new race lead.
TV coverage: Live on British Eurosport between 1430-1600 with highlights on British Eurosport 2 at 1950-2100.
Thursday 4 August – Stage five: Zakopane to Zakopane – 201.5km
A tough and undulating circuit is the order of the day as the riders make five passes of a 40.3km loop on a day that could see further gaps develop in the general classification. The anti-clockwise lap is a tough one, leaving the centre of Zakopane on twisty roads en route to the toughest test of the day. The first category Glodowka climb should claim its fair share of victims as the laps pile up, yet riders will be offered some respite from a long descent down to the foot of the next climb. The second category Do Olczy marks the final stages of each lap, yet there is still the matter of a further tough 4km climb up to the line. It could be here that an elite group decides the stage win on the fifth lap.
TV coverage: Live on British Eurosport between 1630-1800 with highlights at 2000-2100.
Friday 5 August – Stage six: Terma Bukowina - Bukowina Tatrzanska – 207.7km
Another day and another punishing circuit. The intricate stage layout is once again fan-friendly with a series of undulating laps. The day begins with a shorter run around a circuit of 38.2km before the stage reverts to three further laps of a larger 56.6km circuit taking in an additional western loop around Czerwienne. As a result of the three different first category climbs are raced four times and should thin out the bunch before too long. First up is the Zab climb, followed by another tough peak at Bustyk. The close of each lap on the run for the line features four passes of the Gliczarow Gorny climb, a possible springboard for an attack on the final lap on the run-up to yet another uphill finish.
TV coverage: Live on British Eurosport between 1630-1800 with highlights at 2000-2100.
Saturday 6 August – Stage seven: Kraków - Kraków – 128km
The final stage will likely see a race within a race as the sprinters’ teams return to the fray in a closing blast around Kraków. All the while the race leader will have to keep out of trouble on a notoriously tricky circuit. Yet again riders will have plenty of opportunity to learn their way around the day’s stage with ten passes of a 12.4km circuit. Beginning in the Rynek district, the course twists its way through the streets before a straight blast out to Piastowska. From there the riders head back towards the city centre on the Al. Focha and through the finish. The race takes a sharp right turn and heads south across the river in an out-and-back drag down to Rondo Matecznego before heading back on the other side of the road. A spectacular bunch finish is almost assured to bring the race to a close.
TV coverage: Highlights on British Eurosport between 1930-2100.
