Tour de Pologne 2023 (July 29th - August 4th)

[Devil's Elbow]

The WT stage race that doesn’t feel like a WT stage race.

Startlist
The route

Stage 1: Poznań - Poznań, 183.7k
Flat with a finish on a racing circuit.

Stage 2: Leszno - Karpacz, 202.9k
The longest stage is also the sole MTF. It’s not exactly brutal, but at least harder than the Przemyśl HTF used in recent editions.

Sosnówka (first 4.5k only):

Then the final climb starts with the first 1.7k of this - the steep section is 1.3k at 10.7%. After they leave this profile, there are a shade over 2k left to go. The first of those is easy, the final averages 7.5%. So a lot harder than the overall stats - 3.7k at 6.6% - suggest.

Stage 3: Wałbrzych - Duszniki Zdrój, 163.3k
Mid-mountain stage with a punchy finish.

The link for the profile of Zieleniec is here, then it’s a gradual downhill until 2k to go. All eyes on the little wall between 0.9k and 0.4k to go - averaging about 15%! - before the finish in the biathlon arena.

Stage 4: Strzelin - Opole, 198.6k
Sprint number two. The finish looks uphill on the profile but in reality the average gradient is below 1%.

Stage 5: Pszczyna - Bielsko-Biała, 198.8k
The last opportunity to do anything on a climb. Same finish as in every edition between 2018 and 2021, but this time with a much harder run-in.

Zameczek:

Ochodzita:

Salmopol:

Final kilometres:

Stage 6: Katowice - Katowice, 16.6k (ITT)
A shortish, flattish TT to presumably finalise the GC.

Stage 7: Zabrze - Kraków, 166.6k
The final stage is a sprint into Kraków? Bet you didn’t see that one coming.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Actually a pretty good route, the ITT isn't too long for the course, wish there was less rolling circuit in Bielsko-Biała but there will be time gaps by then. I'll be sure to start going on about the Peace Race during the Karpacz stage, and they have a punchy ramp into a biathlon stadium, on a short easy climb after a longer and tougher one, they may as well have called it the Libertine Seguros stage. Maybe I'd rather swap the Kraków sprint stage and the TT to encourage more racing from deep on stage 5 but otherwise I'm actually surprisingly impressed with the route.

Now let's just wait to see if one of those sprint stages is on a stupidly dangerous run-in to undo all that, because it is the Tour de Pologne.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Now let's just wait to see if one of those sprint stages is on a stupidly dangerous run-in to undo all that, because it is the Tour de Pologne.

Stage 1 finishes on this circuit (they take the outer lap clockwise, finishing on the straight at the top of the picture):

Stage 4 has a somewhat-more-than-90-degree turn at 500 metres to go, stage 7 looks unproblematic.

So there’s no Katowice murder alley equivalent, but still two finishes that are somewhat suboptimal.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Sam Bennett will want to show his form is on the up and up to keep his Vuelta place and help entice any teams. Overall it’s hard to see past Thomas or Almeida who should be rounding into form for the Vuelta. Kwiatkowski could also be a threat if he maintains his Tour shape. I’m hoping for Almeida or Kwiatkowski to win.

 

[Samamba]

Aha a racing circuit finish when it's racing. Looking forward to another Poland massacre.

No seriously what's up with all these racing circuits finishes this year? They are just not made for bunch sprints. Riders everywhere. Pure chaos, everyone clipping wheels. A wide road doesn't translate into a safe sprint.

A 90 turn degree 500m from the finish is borderline but not too bad. I've seen way worse this year in other races. Wallonie had 2 bunch sprints with a turn in the last 250-300m for example.

 

[roundabout]

I guess racing circuit finishes are easier for spectators with the infrastructure already in place - parking, grandstands etc.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

This should suit Thomas, but i have no idea if he is actually going to try or just ride it to get into form.

 

[KZD]

I pick Almeida for this race. He already won it in 2021 and the route suits him as well.

 

[yaco]

This race has the commentary effort of the year. Declan Quigley calls this race solo from kilometre zero.

 

[Samamba]

Huuuge rain/tunderstorm... Can't believe they are going to keep riding in this.

 

[Samamba]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1685289681141792769

View: https://twitter.com/parfjanowicz/status/1685289681141792769

https://twitter.com/x/status/1685289103917551616

View: https://twitter.com/KGorka/status/1685289103917551616

 

[Samamba]

Sun is coming through now, it's super wet tho.

 

[RedheadDane]

This race has the commentary effort of the year. Declan Quigley calls this race solo from kilometre zero.

TBF, he can take a nap, and nobody will notice.

 

[Samamba]

First big crash

 

[Samamba]

Horrible horrible finish, in every corner riders crashing.

 

[Tim Cahill]

That was a massacre, surely GC should be neutralised otherwise it's over for most of the actual contenders

 

[Devil's Elbow]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1685298499867250688

https://twitter.com/x/status/1685298555890573312

Bennett is so washed up it isn't even funny. Bora more validated than ever in taking Meeus to the Tour.

 

[SHAD0W93]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1685298499867250688

https://twitter.com/x/status/1685298555890573312

Bennett is so washed up it isn't even funny. Bora more validated than ever in taking Meeus to the Tour.

Yeah Bennett got straight mugged.

 

[Samamba]

That was a massacre, surely GC should be neutralised otherwise it's over for most of the actual contenders

Must be. I ddin't see anyone trying anymore. It was ridiculous. And so incredibly predictable.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Kwiatkowski made it apparently, 1.10 ahead of every other contender, GC over unless they get rid of the gaps

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Kwiatkowski made it apparently, 1.10 ahead of every other contender, GC over unless they get rid of the gaps

You mean, don't gift it to the home favourite?

 

[SHAD0W93]

Unless something crazy happens or bad luck Kwiatkowski should get his second GC win here.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

So the time gaps stand? What a farce. What even needs to happen for this perennially awful race to be removed from the WT?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Current gaps (unless jury intervenes):

Thomas, Arensman, Caruso, Van Wilder, Foss, Dunbar, Sivakov, Van Eetvelt, McNulty, Kämna... losing 2m09s
Almedia, L. Martinez, Majka... losing 2m54s

 

[Drew]

So the time gaps stand? What a farce. What even needs to happen for this perennially awful race to be removed from the WT?

No, everyone was given the same time.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1685305991913443328

View: https://twitter.com/LeGruppetto/status/1685305991913443328