Male Team 03 - 09 Aug
Tour de Pologne
1073 Kilometers 7 Stages
There’s just a couple of cosmetic changes from previous years to the 76th edition of the Tour de Pologne, which remains in 2019 as the next WorldTour stagerace after the end of the Tour de France -though it will be held in July next year, at the same time the ‘Grande Boucle’ is held, due to the Tokyo Olympics-. In any case, it remains a race fully held in the south of the country, starting in Krakow and finishing in the Tatr mountains.
After three stages for sprinters to kick things off, Tuesday 6th marks the first of two hill-top finishes in the race: Kocierz, 3km at nearly 7% – which are actually composed of a brutal, 1.3km slope at 13%, followed by two kilometers of demanding, yet gentler ramps.
The decisive stages will be held on Thursday 8th and Friday 9th. Day six will feature five ascents to Pitoniowka (3km at almost 9%); another five climbs of a non-categorized, 1km, 8% hill; and a finish with 4km at 7% in Gubalowka, just before a short downhill to Koscielisko. Stage seven, will be a less difficult circuit than previous years, with ‘just’ four rated climbs, yet featuring grueling slopes and a 3km, 5% finish in in the Bukowina resort.