"Someone hit me from behind at full speed... I can’t bend my leg" - Rafal Majka left in serious pain after Tour de Pologne crash

Rafal Majka was left battered and in visible discomfort after a heavy crash on Stage 3 of the Tour de Pologne — a race that may mark his final appearance on home soil before retirement.

The incident happened with just over 20 kilometres remaining on a high-speed descent near Wałbrzych, where several riders came down hard after misjudging a corner. Among those to crash were Majka, GC leader Paul Lapeira, and Mathias Vacek, with the chaotic pile-up forcing a temporary neutralisation of the race.

Majka, a UAE Team Emirates - XRG fan favourite and two-time Tour de France mountains classification winner, managed to get back on his bike and complete the stage, though clearly struggling with the aftermath.

“We went into that corner really fast,” Majka told Eurosport at the finish, grimacing in pain. “I was there with ‘Kwiatek’ [Michal Kwiatkowski], the leader, and Filippo Baroncini. I managed to brake — but someone hit me from behind at full speed. We’ll see what happens next. I can’t bend my leg on the right side. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.”

The crash was especially cruel given the occasion. The 34-year-old has announced he will retire at the end of the 2024 season, making this edition of the Tour de Pologne almost certainly his last appearance in a professional race on Polish roads.

After being attended to at the scene, Majka refused to give in, pushing through the pain to finish the stage, a decision that earned admiration from both fans and fellow riders.

Vacek, however, was forced to abandon the race with a suspected concussion and facial injuries, while Lapeira also hit the ground hard but eventually finished and retained the leader’s jersey thanks to a decision by race organisers to neutralise the general classification due to lack of medical cover. All ambulances had been dispatched to attend to the fallen riders.

The stage, once restarted, was won in a bunch sprint by Ben Turner of INEOS Grenadiers, following a textbook lead-out from the aforementioned Kwiatkowski.

Majka’s participation in Stage 4 remains uncertain, depending on how his injuries respond overnight. Whether or not he takes to the start line, Stage 3 was a stark reminder of both the risks of racing and the resilience of a rider giving everything in what may be his final curtain call on home roads.