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Pologne . At least $1,950/€1,750/£1,500
in prizes!! Stage 1: Poznan - Poznan, 183.7 kilometers
Stage 2: Leszno - Karpacz, 203 kilometer
Stage 3: Walbrzych - Duszniki-Zdrój, 162.9 kilometers
Stage 4: Strzelin - Opole, 199.8 kilometers
On the fifth day of racing the riders go through it's final hilly day. It is the traditional ride into Bielsko-Biala with a slight uphill finish which usually ends in a sprint, however this time around the 198-kilometer stage features quite a few difficult climbs beforehand. Stage 6 will be the queen stage, a 16.8-kilometer time-trial in Katowice where big gaps will be created, before reaching the final day in Krakow where the sprinters will fight for another win.
Stage 5: Paszczyna - Bielsko-Biala, 198.6 kilometers
Stage 6 (ITT): Katowice - Katowice, 16.8 kilometers
Stage 7: Zabrze - Krakow, 167 kilometers
The Favourites
INEOS Grenadiers - Two teams stand out in terms of depth. One is INEOS, they come in with the lineup that is expected at the Vuelta a Espana.
Michal Kwiatkowski perhaps not but he comes from a great Tour de France where he won the summit finish at the Grand Colombier.
Geraint Thomas,
Pavel Sivakov,
Thymen Arensman and
Laurens de Plus will all be present and allow the team to deploy many different tactics, whilst also having firepower for the time-trial which could prove decisive.
UAE Team Emirates - The other is UAE Team Emirates with 2021 winner
João Almeida. The time-trialing and climbing will suit him relatively well, but UAE also has strong support or second card in
Brandon McNulty. The presence of
Tim Wellens and
Rafal Majka will also give more climbing firepower, if they find themselves with good form than valuable GC riders as well.
The startlist will feature a few time-trialists that can climb (or with the opposite terminology). Time-trial world champion
Tobias Foss certainly will be dangerous if he finds his best form.
Matteo Sobrero will also be pointed towards the time-trial, whilst in the climber field you will find
Damiano Caruso,
Lennard Kämna and
Ilan van Wilder can also be quite dangerous and big favourites for the GC.
Then we'll have Matej Mohoric, Sergio Higuita, Lenny Martínez, Eddie Dunbar, Max Poole, Oscar Onley and Lennert van Eetvelt as outsiders. They will have to contest their run for the overall win in the hilly terrain, but all of these riders individually has the quality to take big wins in this field. It'll make for a dynamic battle that will be fought throughout most likely four stages.
Other big figures
The race will also feature strong sprinters with the return of Sam Bennett to World Tour racing. He will be challenged by the likes of Tim Merlier and Olav Kooij who will be the main favourites for the sprints.
Other fast men include Pascal Ackermann, Gerben Thijssen, Fernando Gaviria, Jakub Mareczko, Stanislaw Aniolkowski, Matteo Moschetti and Arvid de Kleijn. Stefan Bissegger comes perhaps as the main favourite for the time-trial.
Prediction Tour de Pologne 2023 overall classification:
*** João Almeida, Lennard Kämna
** Michal Kwiatkowski, Geraint Thomas, Tobias Foss
* Brandon McNulty, Thymen Arensman, Pavel Sivakov, Matej Mohoric, Damiano Caruso, Sergio Higuita, Ilan van Wilder, Matteo Sobrero, Max Poole
Pick: João Almeida