Bahrain Victorious heads to the 83rd edition of the Tour de Pologne with ambitions at both ends of the race, targeting sprint success in the opening stages before shifting its focus to the general classification in the mountains. This year’s route takes the peloton on a true tour of Poland, starting on the Baltic coast before travelling south along the country’s western side and finishing with an individual time trial near Kraków.
The opening stage from Gdynia to Koszalin is the longest of the race at 234 kilometres. Although expected to favour the fast men, more than 2,000 metres of climbing and a late ascent just a few kilometres from the finish could open the door for puncheurs or late attackers. Stages 2 and 3 are expected to suit the sprinters, where only crosswinds or aggressive racing could prevent a bunch finish. The battle for the overall classification begins on Stage 4, before intensifying on Stage 5 with a demanding uphill finish. The decisive day is likely to come on Stage 6, the queen stage, featuring three ascents of Bukowina before the final climb. The race will conclude with a 12.5km individual time trial to the famous Wieliczka Salt Mine, where the final general classification could still be decided.
Michal Gołaś, Sports Director: “Our main objective is to be competitive every day and fight for victories throughout the week. The race is almost split into two parts. For the opening three stages, we’ll focus on the sprints, while from Stage 4 onwards our attention shifts to the general classification with Santiago Buitrago as our leader. In the sprint stages, we’ll aim to fight for podiums and, if the opportunity is there, for stage victories. The field is very strong, with riders like Jonathan Milan and Paul Magnier among the favourites, but we believe we have the team to compete with them. Matevž Govekar and Daniel Skerl will share leadership in the sprint stages, supported by a strong lead-out including Alessandro Borgo and Alec Segaert. They have the speed and the support to be in the mix if everything comes together.
For the mountains, Santiago will lead our GC challenge. Our objective is to finish on the overall podium. He’s in good condition and, with the right race circumstances, I believe that’s a realistic goal. Edoardo Zambanini knows this race well after several previous editions and will play an important supporting role in the mountains. Roman Ermakov has shown excellent form in recent weeks, and after the work he did for the team here last year, I expect him to be another key rider in the decisive stages.”
Reflecting on this year’s route, the Polish Sports Director welcomed the return of a true tour across the country.
“After many years, the race once again makes a full journey across Poland. We start on the Baltic Sea with a couple of long northern stages before heading south towards the mountains and finishing with the time trial at the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Kraków. As a Pole, I’m happy that the race showcases so many different regions of the country. I think it’s a more demanding course than we’ve seen in recent years, especially the stage in Bukowina, which will be crucial for the GC. As always, bonus seconds will be important, but I also expect the final time trial to have a major impact on the overall standings. Those two factors could ultimately decide the race.”
Looking ahead to the conditions, Gołaś expects the weather to play less of a role than in previous editions.
“We’re expecting a typical Polish summer, a bit of everything. At the moment the forecast looks fairly stable, so I don’t think the weather will have a major influence on the racing. That said, we always need to stay alert because the wind can quickly become a factor, especially in the opening stages.
The whole team is highly motivated, and we’re looking forward to getting the race underway.”
Bahrain Victorious line-up: Alessandro Borgo, Santiago Buitrago, Roman Ermakov, Matevž Govekar, Alec Segaert, Daniel Skerl, Edoardo Zambanini
