2021 Tour de Pologne, 9th to 15th August

[RedheadDane]

It's time for the race that last year was the first WT stage race after the lock-down. A race that for the last few editions have been overshadowed by tragedy and near-tragedy. However, the weirdly-supersticious people out there might be glad to notice that there'll obviously be no stages on August 5th, as that day just seems cursed for this race. Also, that finish had been scrapped, and instead they'll have a ITT in Katowice. They have also decided to use the new Boplan barriers introduced at the Classics.

Tour de Pologne enlists Boplan barriers to improve safety | Cyclingnews

Defending champion, Evenepoel, won't be back to defend his title, as he's heading further north-west, instead it's up to João Almeida to defend the Quick-Step colours, oh yeah... and some Colombian sprinter . Other big names include Fernando Gaviria, Michal Kwiatkowski, John Degenkolb, Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier...

Preliminary startlist:

Startlist for Tour de Pologne 2021 (procyclingstats.com)

 

[RedheadDane]

Stage 1 » Lublin › Chełm (216.4km)

 

[RedheadDane]

Stage 2 » Zamość › Przemyśl (200.8km)

 

[RedheadDane]

Stage 3 » Sanok › Rzeszów (226.4km)

Please note that there are only three climbs on this stage. The rest is just flat...

 

[RedheadDane]

Stage 4 » Tarnów › Bukovina Resort (160.5km)

 

[RedheadDane]

Stage 5 » Chochołów › Bielsko-Biała (172.9km)

 

[RedheadDane]

Stage 6 (ITT) » Katowice › Katowice (17.9km)

 

[RedheadDane]

Stage 7 » Zabrze › Kraków (145.1km)

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Stage 3 would be a great stage if they rode it in the opposite direction.

 

[tobydawq]

Stage 3 would be a great stage if they rode it in the opposite direction.

So now it's a taerg stage.

 

[RedheadDane]

So now it's a taerg stage.

No... it's an egats taerg...

 

[Samu Cuenca]

So now it's a taerg stage.

Silly, but true

 

[yaco]

This will attract a mixed field seeing that it clashes with the Vuelta - Parcours seems hililer than normal which is probably because there is an ITT.

 

[southwards]

Any TV coverage of this, GCN+ excluded?

 

[Anderis]

Parcours seems hililer than normal which is probably because there is an ITT.

There might be fewer pancake flat stages but actually the parcours are less hilly than normal overall- or at least the decisive stages are. The Bukowina stage has been completely butchered- probably because Tarnów paid to host the stage start. I personally think it's the worst route this race has had in a while and we're going to get a TT, 4 sprints and 2 uphill sprints.

 

[hayneplane]

Stage 3 would be a great stage if they rode it in the opposite direction.

Either that or just chopping off the last 50kms and finishing at the intermediate sprint point would make a super hilly stage hard to control. AS it is now the breakaway will likely win without much of a fight from the GC teams.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

tbh the route is difficult to evaluate without knowing the balloon placement.

 

[RedheadDane]

Any TV coverage of this, GCN+ excluded?

Can't seem to find it on the ES Player...

 

[limak_]

Let's see how much they will crush one of my KOMs on the route of the stage 1.

 

[BlueRoads]

Can't seem to find it on the ES Player...

No, doesn't seem to be there... no Álvaro for me.
They really want me to work after all that olymping.

 

[Samamba]

This is WT and there's no broadcast?

 

[RedheadDane]

This is WT and there's no broadcast?

It's insane, right?

 

[Anderis]

This is WT and there's no broadcast?

Seems to be for political reasons. At least that's what I've read on a Polish forum.

GCN is owned by a media company that seems to be at odds with the Polish government.

 

[limak_]

This is WT and there's no broadcast?

There is a broadcast provided by the public tv - https://sport.tvp.pl/55159664/tour-...stwo-na-zywo-online-live-stream-gdzie-ogladac

I have no idea if this will be geo restricted, but a vpn should make it. I think that tiz-cycling will also surely provide streams available for everyone.

 

[BlueRoads]

Seems to be for political reasons. At least that's what I've read on a Polish forum.

GCN is owned by a media company that seems to be at odds with the Polish government.

But does ES only buy from GCN?

There is a broadcast provided by the public tv - https://sport.tvp.pl/55159664/tour-...stwo-na-zywo-online-live-stream-gdzie-ogladac

I have no idea if this will be geo restricted, but a vpn should make it. I think that tiz-cycling will also surely provide streams available for everyone.

Thank you, I'll probably try, won'tgo through the vpn thing, though. Tiz is nice, but always breaks away 5 min before the end.