Bet on cycling

A new date in early August represented a massive boost for the Tour de Pologne in 2009 and charismatic race organiser Czeslaw Lang is looking to build on that success in 2010.

Poland is at the heart of Europe and so plays a key role in the development of professional cycling. Thanks to Lang’s own experience as a professional rider, the Tour de Pologne is very well organised, supported by good sponsors and attracts the best riders in the UCI ProTour thanks to a challenging route that creates an aggressive race. The race is broadcast live on Polish state television and around the world.

In 2009 Italy’s Alessandro Ballan won a rain-soaked stage five in Krynica-Zdroj and then controlled his closest rivals to win overall in Krakow. Ballan was World Champion at the time having won the rainbow jersey in Varese but he had struggled with illness for most of the season. His win in the Tour de Pologne marked the start of his comeback.

The race also highlighted other talented riders. Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen won two stages thanks to his impressive sprint finish, while Germany’s André Greipel, and Italians Angelo Furlan and Jacopo Guarnieri also won sprints. It was 21 year-old Guarnieri’s first pro win but is unlikely to be his last.

The route of the 2010 Tour de Pologne will again offer stages for the sprinters but will also include some tough climbs. The race will start with a stage from Sochaczew to Warszawa before heading to Katowice. Stage four finishes with a climb to Rownica, considered the hardest climb in the whole of Poland. The race will finish in Krakow for the third time in a row on August 7.