Tour de Pologne 2023 raises climbing stakes with new summit finish

The 2023 Tour de Pologne will be one for the climbers, with the full route details published this week revealing a tough new 11-kilometre summit finish that could be decisive for the overall classification.

Traditionally considered the first major stage race of the second half of the cycling season, the 2023 edition of the Tour de Pologne shifts from its usual southerly stomping grounds to a start in the western city of Poznán on July 29th.

In keeping with recent race tradition, it finishes in the country's former capital of Krakow, on August 4th.

Riders expected to start the 2023 edition include Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), a former winner of the Tour de Pologne back in 2021.

After an opening stage for the sprinters in Poznán, the Tour de Pologne moves swiftly towards much more difficult terrain, with stage 2 from Leszno to Karpacz plunging the race deep into the Karkonosze Mountains and ending on the 11-kilometre Orlinek climb, known locally as the ‘Wailing Wall’.

Uneven in its first half, the first five kilometres of Orlinek are not overly complicated, before kicking up much more notably in the second part through the gradient percentages as the summit approaches. Orlinek concludes with a 300 metre ramp of over 10% and its steepest gradient is around 12%.

Two more hilly stages follow, the first when Pologne heads eastwards along the Slovak border from Walbrzych to Dusniki Zrdoj on stage 3. 

48 hours later, stage 5 takes the race through the Carpathians to the well-known Pologne finish town of Bielsko-Biala, where a steady final uphill gradient will likely offer opportunities for any climbers present who have a fast sprint.

However the rolling 16.6 kilometre individual time trial on stage 6 in Katowice will give the specialists against the clock their only opportunity to pull back time and could see some more big changes on GC.

The curtain is set to fall on the 2023 Tour de Pologne with a traditional flat stage to Krakow on August 4, likely to offer the sprinters their third opportunity of victory in seven days.

Considered both a top preparation race for the Vuelta a España, which starts on August 26th, and a prestigious event in its own right, Giro d’Italia podium finisher Almeida is currently pencilled in to be taking part.

Almeida is  former winner of Pologne in 2021 and his UAE teammate Rafal Majka, who took the overall victory himself back in 2014, is also likely  to be present. Key opposition could well be provided by 2018 Tour de Pologne champion and multiple podium finisher Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers).

Another rider who has been named as a possible starter is the talented young French climber, Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ), tipped to ride the Vuelta a España and who recently defeated Mike Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) to win the CIC-Mont Ventoux. 

Last year the Tour de Pologne was won by Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers), ahead of Thymen Arensman, then racing with Team DSM, and Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious).

Cyclingnews will have full coverage of the Tour de Pologne with Alasdair Fotheringham on the race to capture exclusive interviews and news.

Stages

• Saturday July 29th: Stage 1: Poznán - Poznán: 183.7 kms
• Sunday July 30th: Stage 2: Leszno - Karpacz: 202.9 kms 
• Monday July 31st: Stage 3: Walbrzych - Duszniki Zrdoj: 163.3kms 
• Tuesday August 1st: Stage 4: Strzelin - Opole: 198.6kms
• Wednesday August 2nd: Stage 5: Pszczyna - Bielsko-Biala: 198.8 kms 
• Thursday August 3rd: Stage 6: Katowice - Katowice: 16.6kms (Individual time trial)
• Friday August 4th: Stage 7: Zabrze - Krakow: 166.6kms