The second edition of the Tour de Pologne Women is set to begin on Friday, June 28th, with an individual time trial in Lublin. This three-day event will continue with a scenic route from Krasnystaw to Kraśnik on the second stage and conclude on Sunday, June 30th, from Nałęczów to Kazimierz Dolny. The race will feature national teams from Poland, Denmark, and Ukraine, along with 13 professional cycling teams, including top contenders like LottoDestiny Ladies, VolkerWessels Women’s Pro, and the UAE Development Team.
Thanks to successful collaborations with local authorities during the 2021-2022 editions of the Tour de Pologne and the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix, Lublin province has been chosen to host and co-organize this year’s race. The colorful peloton will captivate not only local residents but also the growing number of tourists drawn to the region’s natural beauty, culture, and historic sites.
“The Tour de Pologne Women, traversing the picturesque routes of Lublin province, is a fantastic promotion for our region,” said Jaroslaw Stawiarski, Marshal of the Lublin Province. He highlighted the significant media and fan interest, which motivated them to host the event, showcasing Lublin’s rich architecture, multiculturalism, and unique monuments on a global scale.
The Lang Team organized the first Tour de Pologne Women in 2016, long before the women’s stages in the Tour de France or Vuelta a España. “Women’s cycling has grown rapidly, with major brands now organizing races,” said Czeslaw Lang, General Director of the Lang Team. “We initiated this race eight years ago, before it was fashionable, and now we return with the second edition, featuring three spectacular stages in cycling-fanatic Lublin.”
The riders will compete for the ORLEN general classification and the blue jersey for the most active LOTTO player. “We have a long-standing association with the Tour de Pologne brand and are proud to support the women’s race,” said Rafał Krzemień, President of Totalizator Sportowy, owner of the LOTTO brand.
The riders will start the individual time trial at 3 Maja Street and after a 4.5 kilometer route, mainly along Racławic Avenue, they will finish at Plac Litewski. The route of the first stage looks easy on the surface, but in reality, it is demanding and selective. For the riders who want to count in the ORLEN general classification, it will be important to start the race at the right pace and get an advantage from the first meters.
Stage 1 general programme: 17.45 START OF THE FIRST RIDER – Lublin, 3 Maja St. 19.39 START OF THE LAST RIDER – Lublin, 3 Maja St. 19.45 LAST ARRIVAL – Lublin, Plac Litewski 19.50 AWARD CEREMONY – Lublin, Plac Litewski
The second stage of the race will take riders through picturesque, hilly countryside, and along the way they will compete for two LOTTO speed prizes in Radecznica and Batorz in Janów Poviat. “The second stage starts in Krasnystaw, then the route leads through the valley of the Wieprz River and on to the charming artificial lake in Nielisz. So far, the terrain is slightly undulating, with small hills. The bigger hills start in Roztocze – from Radecznica. Here and in Batorz, in the Janów district, there are LOTTO bonuses. After the finish in Kraśnik, the route will be very intermittent, with short but steep climbs,” says Ryszard Majkowski, the route coordinator.
The Roztocze, through which much of the second stage will pass, is a land of exceptional natural beauty, densely forested, with a fantastic, colorful mosaic of rolling fields. It has the highest number of sunny days per year in Poland and numerous vineyards, making the Roztocze region known as the Polish Tuscany.
Stage 2 general programme: 12.20 HONORARY START – Krasnystaw, 3 Maja St. 12.30 OFFICIAL START – Krasnystaw, ul. Borowa 15.49 Arrival of cyclists at the finish – Kraśnik, ul. Kościuszki 24 15.55 AWARD CEREMONY – Kraśnik, Market Square
The third and final stage of the 2nd Tour de Pologne Women will start in Nałęczów, famous for its beautiful spa park, and after 103 kilometers the fate of the ORLEN general classification will be decided in Kazimierz Dolny, a place of numerous concerts, festivals, and exhibitions. “There are three solid climbs between Nałęczów and Skowieszynek and there will be plenty to ride. The climb in Kazimierz Dolny may not be too difficult, although it has a gradient of 11% at the end. However, the riders will ride it up to five times, as that is the number of 15-kilometer laps planned for Kazimierz Dolny. We are expecting a great atmosphere and loud cheering, as the number of tourists in this charming town reaches 100,000 on summer weekends,” assures Majkowski.
The Arche Hotel in Nałęczów will be the strategic point and base where the race caravan will spend the night. The building, which dates back to the 1980s, has been thoroughly renovated thanks to the efforts of the Arche Group, preserving the unique character and authenticity of the architecture of the time.
Programme of Stage 3 of the 2nd Tour de Pologne Women: 12.50 HONORARY START – Arche Nałęczów, 4B Spółdzielcza Street 13.00 STRONG START – Nałęczów, ul. Charz “A” 15.34 Arrival of the cyclists at the finish line – Kazimierz Dolny, Al. Kazimierza Wielkiego 15.40 AWARD CEREMONY – Kazimierz Dolny, Market Square
ROUTE OF THE 2nd Tour de Pologne Women, 28-30.06.2024: STAGE I: 28.06.2024, Lublin – Lublin (individual time trial), 4.5 km Stage II: 29.06.2024, Krasnystaw – Kraśnik, Kraśnicki County, 136 km Stage III: 30.06.2024, Arche Nałęczów – Kazimierz Dolny, 103 km
For more information, visit: www.tourdepolognewomen.pl.