PREVIEW | Tour de Pologne 2024 stage 6 - Queen stage the final obstacle in the way of Jonas Vingegaard's victory

From the 12th to 18th of August we have on the road the Tour de Pologne. It collides with other big races in the calendar but every year it features a quality startlist with all kinds of riders. The seven stages will provide plenty opportunities in the only World Tour stage-race that comes between the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana. We preview stage 6.

The queen stage? Perhaps some days earlier in the week were more dangerous, but I argue this is the most difficult one. Another 3100 meters of climbing but we have got difficult climbing this time around close to the end, with very steep gradients also included. Early in the day however there is also a set of four climbs, each hard enough for strong climbers or classics riders to go up the road. It could be important for the overall classification but also the fight for the stage win.

The riders then climb up Sciana Bukovina (2.6Km; 7.8%) and Sciana Harnas (2.8Km; 6.4%) that summit with 60 and 46 kilometers to go. They will be hard, but taking into consideration the finale, there will likely not be too much action yet on these ascents. Sciana Bukovina is the main climb of the day, the average is not too high but the gradients go over 20% on the climb and the final time up it sees the summit finish with only 12 kilometers to go. It is an ascent where differences can be made, with no doubt.

After the summit there is a small plateau and then a very fast descent into the base of the final climb directly. This is the ascent to the Bukovina Tatsanska which is 4 kilometers at around 5%. The first 2 kilometers average around 7% and it does provide the chance for attacks to still happen. It then flattens out but, if a sprint is to happen, it will still have some uphill gradients to the line in a smooth straightforward road.

The Weather

Prediction Tour de Pologne 2024 stage 6:

*** Diego Ulissi, Wilco Kelderman
** Jonas Vingegaard, Matej Mohoric, Romain Grégoire
* Thibau Nys, Magnus Sheffield, Edoardo Zambanini, Archie Ryan, Aure´lien Paret-Peintre, Oscar Onley, Jan Christen, Tim Wellens, Lukas Nerurkar

Pick: Diego Ulissi