"Winning the stage is the cherry on top" – Brandon McNulty celebrates GC triumph at 2025 Tour de Pologne
Cycling
Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) wrapped up a thrilling week in Poland by claiming overall victory at the 2025 Tour de Pologne, capping his performance with a commanding win in the final stage time trial. While the stage itself was decisive, it was McNulty’s reflection on the achievement and the race as a whole that stood out in his post-race comments.
“I came here focused on the time trial,” McNulty explained in a post-stage press release afterwards. “But later I knew I had just one job: to beat Langellotti and stay ahead of Tiberi. Winning the stage is the cherry on top.” His words capture the measured confidence that defined his week — a strategic mindset that prioritised the overall win, with the stage victory serving as an exclamation point.
The final stage, a short but intense individual time trial around Wieliczka featuring a challenging opening climb, demanded a strong start and sustained power. McNulty’s performance was flawless, reflecting his meticulous preparation and resilience under pressure. “The time trial was short and started with the toughest climb. You had to start strong and then keep the pace. Today was my day,” he said, visibly happy after crossing the finish line.
This victory marks a significant milestone for McNulty, reinforcing his reputation as one of the most versatile riders on the World Tour, capable of excelling in both climbing and against the clock. His ability to overturn a deficit to Victor Langellotti in the final moments of the race underlined his mental toughness and tactical acumen.
Tour de Pologne Race Director Czeslaw Lang praised the race’s wide appeal and competitive drama. “This year’s Tour de Pologne was incredibly exciting – from the beautiful start in Wrocław, through the demanding mountain stages, to the final time trial in Wieliczka,” Lang said. “Thousands of fans along the routes all over the country showed just how great the interest in cycling is in Poland. It was a true celebration of sport that unites people beyond divisions.”
As McNulty basks in the glow of his first Tour de Pologne overall win, the cycling world will be watching closely to see how he builds on this success in the remainder of the season. For now, though, the American rider is savouring a hard-earned triumph, proving once again that his time trial strength, combined with strategic racing, can turn the tides of a week-long stage race.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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