Tour de Pologne
Encyclopedia
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
stage race. It consists of seven or eight stages and is usually around 1,200 km in length. The race was first held in 1928. Until 1952 the race was held sporadically, but since then it has been an annual race. Until early 1993 the race was open to amateur cyclists only and most of its winners came from Poland.
The international cycling association, the Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
(UCI), made TdP part of the UCI ProTour
UCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
in 2005, and part of the UCI World Ranking
UCI World Ranking
The UCI World Tour is the premier annual male elite road cycling tour. It refers to both the tour of 27 events and an annual ranking system based upon performances in these...
calendar in 2009.
History
The initial concept of the TdP's multi-stage format was modeled after the popular Tour de France. The proposal for organizing the event was submitted jointly by the Warsaw Cycling Society and the Przegląd SportowyPrzeglad Sportowy
Przeglad Sportowy is the oldest and largest Polish sports daily, founded in 1921 in Kraków. In 1926 it initiated an annual, popular plebiscite for the Polish Sportspersonality of the Year...
sports newspaper published in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. Thanks to their initiative, a Wyścig Dookoła Polski (Race Around Poland, the original name of the TdP) was held in the summer of 1928 . The historic first edition of the race took place on 7–11 September 1928. 71 cyclists rode almost 1,500 km - the winner was Felix Więcek from the Bydgoszcz Cycling Club.
Until the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the TdP took place four times, two of which - in the years 1937 and 1939 - were won by the "Tiger of the Roads" - Bolesław Napierała.
The early races differed significantly from today's. The stages were much longer (often a distance of 300 km), and riders repeatedly caught flat tires on stone-chipped roads, and made stops at local restaurants.
After the war, the idea of a cycling competition around Poland was re-born. In 1947, thanks to the cooperation of the Polish Cycling Association, the newspaper publishing house "Czytelnik" and a group of journalists, the race was reactivated after an 8-year break. The winner after just four stages and only 606 km (the shortest route in the history of the TdP) was Stanislaw Grzelak (Tramwajarz Lodz). Until 1993 it was not possible for the organizers of TdP to achieve an adequate rank for their event. This was due to the official stance of the authorities and the favoring of a different cycling event - the Peace Race. Noteworthy moments from that time period: triumphs of foreign cyclists - Francesco Locatelli (1949), Roger Diercken (1960), José Viejo
José Viejo
José Luis Viejo Gómez is a former road cyclist from Spain who was a professional cyclist from 1973 to 1982...
(1972) and André Delcroix (from 1974), the longest edition of the race - 2,311 km and 13 stages (in 1953) and the hat-trick of victories of Marian Wieckowski (1954–56), matched only by Dariusz Baranowski (1991–93).
Since 1993, Czesław Lang the 1980 Summer Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
cycling silver medalist and the winner of the 1980 TdP took over the function of TdP Director. Thanks to his persistent efforts, the TdP is now a UCI World Ranking
UCI World Ranking
The UCI World Tour is the premier annual male elite road cycling tour. It refers to both the tour of 27 events and an annual ranking system based upon performances in these...
event.
In 1997, during the UCI
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
congress in San Sebastian, TdP advanced to the professional category of 2.4, and was now classified as a "National Race" (first of its kind in Central and Eastern European countries).
In at the 1999 World Championships in Verona, the UCI
UCI
UCI usually refers to the Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body for the sport of cycling.UCI may also refer to:* United Cinemas International* United Kennel Clubs International...
Technical Commission promoted the race to Class 2.3. In 12 October 2001 the Tour was promoted to category 2.2.
In the 2005 decision of the UCI, the TdP has been included in the elite of cycling events - the UCI ProTour
UCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
. The composition of the sample were three Grand Tours: Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
, Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
, classic World Cup, staged races 2.HC category (ie. Paris–Nice, Tour de Suisse
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse is a UCI World Tour stage race held annually in June. The race debuted in 1933 and has evolved in timing, duration and sponsorship. With the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is a proving ground for the Tour de France, and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
), the classics 1.HC (ie. La Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne is a major men's professional cycle road race held in April each year in Belgium.The first of two Belgian Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne is today normally held mid-week between the Amstel Gold Race and Liège–Bastogne–Liège...
- The Walloon Arrow) and the TdP, which was advanced by 2 categories to 2HC.
Over several years the activities of Polish precursor professional law enforcement - Czeslaw Lang, Kolarska amateur event, known in the mainly communist countries, has been transformed into a well-organized professional race. This resulted in the groups with the top stars of professional cycling and the world, even Danilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rode for numerous UCI Professional Continental teams throughout his career including Liquigas-Bianchi and . He holds victories in the Giro di Lombardia in 2001, the 2005 UCI ProTour and won both the Giro d'Italia and the spring...
(ProTour winner 2005), Laurent Brochard
Laurent Brochard
Laurent Brochard is a retired professional road racing cyclist from France. In 1997 he won a stage of the Tour de France and became world road champion in San Sebastián, Spain....
(professional world champion from 1997), Óscar Freire
Óscar Freire
Óscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
(world champion 1999, 2001 and 2004), Romāns Vainšteins
Romans Vainsteins
Romāns Vainšteins is a former professional road bicycle racer from Latvia. He won the road race at the 2000 world cycling championship in Plouay, France...
(world champion from 2000), Viatcheslav Ekimov
Viatcheslav Ekimov
Viatcheslav Vladimirovich Ekimov , nicknamed Eki, is a Russian former professional racing cyclist...
(Olympic Champion of 2000), Gianluca Bortolami
Gianluca Bortolami
Gianluca Bortolami is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist. Bortolami's greatest feats was capturing the monumental classic Ronde van Vlaanderen in 2001 and winning the 1994 UCI Road World Cup season championship....
(World Cup winner 1994), Erik Dekker
Erik Dekker
Hendrik "Erik" Dekker is a retired Dutch professional road racing cyclist active from 1992 until 2006. He was a member of the Rabobank cycling team from 1996 till 2006. In 2007 he became one of Rabobank's team managers.-Amateur career:...
(World Cup winner 2001), Stefano Garzelli
Stefano Garzelli
Stefano Garzelli is an Italian professional road racing cyclist. The high point of his career to date was his overall win in the 2000 Giro d'Italia, after a close three-way competition with Gilberto Simoni and Francesco Casagrande.-Career:He started out as being a domestique for Marco Pantani but...
(winner of 2000 Giro d'Italia
2000 Giro d'Italia
The 2000 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 83rd running of the race, was held from 13 May to 4 June 2000. It consisted of a prologue plus 21 stages, for a total of 3,676 km, ridden at an average speed of 37.684 km/h...
) or excellent sprinters: Andrus Auga, Baden Cooke
Baden Cooke
Baden Cooke is an Australian professional racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team .Cooke began competitive cycling at 11. He completed secondary school at Galen College in Wangaratta, Victoria....
, and Daniele Bennati
Daniele Bennati
Daniele Bennati is an Italian road racing cyclist specializing in fast sprint finishes. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam . He turned professional in 2002, when he joined the team and wore zebra stripes as part of Mario Cipollini’s leadout train...
.
Tour de Pologne four received the title of "Best Sport Event of the Year" in the Przegląd Sportowy
Przeglad Sportowy
Przeglad Sportowy is the oldest and largest Polish sports daily, founded in 1921 in Kraków. In 1926 it initiated an annual, popular plebiscite for the Polish Sportspersonality of the Year...
polls in 1995, 1996, 2004 and 2008.
List of winners
| Year | Winner | Nationality | Stages | Distance |
| 2011 2011 Tour de Pologne The 2011 Tour de Pologne was the 68th running of the Tour de Pologne cycling stage race. It started on 31 July in Pruszków and finished on 6 August in Kraków. It was the 19th race of the 2011 UCI World Tour season.... |
Peter Sagan Peter Sagan Peter Sagan is a Slovak professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Sagan had a successful junior mountain bike racing career, winning the Junior World Championship in 2008, before moving to road racing.... |
7 | 1113.3 km | |
| 2010 2010 Tour de Pologne The 2010 Tour de Pologne was the 67th running of the Tour de Pologne, in the 82nd year since the first edition. The event was part of both the 2010 UCI ProTour and the World Calendar... |
Daniel Martin Daniel Martin (cyclist) Daniel Martin is an Irish racing cyclist who currently rides for .-Early Life:Born in Birmingham, Martin became British National Junior Road Race Champion in 2004, before deciding to ride for Ireland. His brother Tom will ride for the UC Aubenas squad in 2009... |
7 | 1256.5 km | |
| 2009 2009 Tour de Pologne The 2009 Tour de Pologne was the 66th running of the Tour de Pologne, in the 81st year since the first edition. The event was part of both the 2009 UCI ProTour and the inaugural World Calendar, and ran from 2–8 August, starting in Warsaw and finishing in Kraków.After four stages that were... |
Alessandro Ballan Alessandro Ballan Alessandro Ballan is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI Professional Continental team , and is a former world champion. Although he possesses a frame that is usually more associated with climbing, Ballan has established himself as a leading spring classics contender in recent years... |
7 | 1158 km | |
| 2008 | Jens Voigt Jens Voigt Jens Voigt is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . Voigt is known for his propensity to attack, and for his positive racing attitude. He is capable of repeated attacking, holding a high tempo, and breaking away from the peloton... |
7 | 1258.6 km | |
| 2007 2007 Tour de Pologne The 2007 Tour de Pologne will be held from September 9 to 15, 2007 in Poland. The race will begin with a very short team time trial in the streets of Warsaw and have its toughest stages, once again, in the proximity of Jelenia Góra. In all, the race will comprise seven stages.-Jersey progress... |
Johan Van Summeren Johan Van Summeren Johan Vansummeren is a Belgian road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam .During the 2007 Tour de France, commentator Paul Sherwen repeatedly praised Vansummeren's work in support of his team leader, eventual second place finisher Cadel Evans, even going so far as to say "I would like to... |
7 | 1224 km | |
| 2006 | Stefan Schumacher Stefan Schumacher Stefan Schumacher is a German professional road racing cyclist.-Career:First professionally employed with Team Telekom in 2002, he was released the following year... |
7 | 1226 km | |
| 2005 | Kim Kirchen Kim Kirchen Kim Kirchen is a former Luxembourg road racing cyclist.-Career:Kirchen signed as a professional cyclist in 2000 with De Nardi-Pasta Montegrappa, and went on to join in 2001... |
8 | 1246 km | |
| 2004 | Ondřej Sosenka Ondrej Sosenka Ondřej Sosenka is a Czech professional cyclist and rides for the UCI Professional Continental team PSK Whirlpool-Author. He won the Peace Race in 2002. He broke the nine-year old UCI hour record on July 19, 2005 in Moscow, Russia, riding in one hour.Sosenka was known as one of the largest... |
8 | 1264 km | |
| 2003 | Cezary Zamana Cezary Zamana Cezary Zamana is a professional road racing cyclist from Ełk, Poland.- Important achievements :1992... |
8 | 1133 km | |
| 2002 | Laurent Brochard Laurent Brochard Laurent Brochard is a retired professional road racing cyclist from France. In 1997 he won a stage of the Tour de France and became world road champion in San Sebastián, Spain.... |
8 | 1273 km | |
| 2001 | Ondřej Sosenka Ondrej Sosenka Ondřej Sosenka is a Czech professional cyclist and rides for the UCI Professional Continental team PSK Whirlpool-Author. He won the Peace Race in 2002. He broke the nine-year old UCI hour record on July 19, 2005 in Moscow, Russia, riding in one hour.Sosenka was known as one of the largest... |
8 | 1249 km | |
| 2000 | Piotr Przydział | 7 | 1164 km | |
| 1999 | Tomasz Brożyna Tomasz Brozyna Tomasz Brożyna is a former professional road racing cyclist. He entered professional cycling in 1995 and retired in 2006 at the age of 36... |
7 | 1164 km | |
| 1998 | Serguei Ivanov | 8 | 1434 km | |
| 1997 | Rolf Järmann Rolf Järmann Rolf Järmann is a retired road bicycle racer from Switzerland, who was a professional rider from 1988 to 1999. He twice won the Amstel Gold Race during his career... |
8 | 1499 km | |
| 1996 | Viatcheslav Djavanian | 8 | 1346 km | |
| 1995 | Zbigniew Spruch Zbigniew Spruch Zbigniew Spruch is a Polish former professional road bicycle racer.-Palmarès:198819891995*... |
7 | 1254 km | |
| 1994 | Maurizio Fondriest Maurizio Fondriest Maurizio Fondriest is a retired Italian professional road racing cyclist.-Career:Born in Cles, Trentino, Fondriest turned professional in 1987 with the Ecoflam team. He subsequently rode for Alfa-Lum in 1988, winning the World Cycling Championships along with stages in the Tour de Suisse and... |
7 | 1110 km | |
| 1993 | Dariusz Baranowski | 12 | 1794 km | |
| 1992 | Dariusz Baranowski | 8 | 1149 km | |
| 1991 | Dariusz Baranowski | 8 | 1222 km | |
| 1990 | Mieczysław Karłowicz | 9 | 1207 km | |
| 1989 | Marek Wrona | 8 | 1271 km | |
| 1988 | Andrzej Mierzejewski Andrzej Mierzejewski Andrzej Mierzejewski is a Polish retired road racing cyclist.- Palmarès :- External links :... |
7 | 1016 km | |
| 1987 | Zbigniew Piątek Zbigniew Piątek Zbigniew Piątek is a Polish former road racing cyclist. He was active as an amateur from 1987 to 1993 and from 1994 to 2005 as a professional. He won many of the top races in Poland: the Tour de Pologne, Tour of Malopolska and Szlakiem Grodów Piastowskich... |
8 | 1162 km | |
| 1986 | Marek Kulas | 10 | 1490 km | |
| 1985 | Marek Leśniewski | 10 | 1224 km | |
| 1984 | Andrzej Mierzejewski Andrzej Mierzejewski Andrzej Mierzejewski is a Polish retired road racing cyclist.- Palmarès :- External links :... |
9 | 1219 km | |
| 1983 | Tadeusz Krawczyk | 9 | 1147 km | |
| 1982 | Andrzej Mierzejewski Andrzej Mierzejewski Andrzej Mierzejewski is a Polish retired road racing cyclist.- Palmarès :- External links :... |
8 | 892 km | |
| 1981 | Jan Brzezny | 9 | 1 195 km | |
| 1980 | Czesław Lang | 10 | 1282 km | |
| 1979 | Henryk Charucki | 9 | 1335 km | |
| 1978 | Jan Brzezny | 11 | 1415 km | |
| 1977 | Lechosław Michalak | 10 | 1460 km | |
| 1976 | Janusz Kowalski | 10 | 1499 km | |
| 1975 | Tadeusz Mytnik | 10 | 1440 km | |
| 1974 | André Delcroix | 11 | 1593 km | |
| 1973 | Lucjan Lis | 12 | 1512 km | |
| 1972 | José Luis Viejo | 10 | 1194 km | |
| 1971 | Stanisław Szozda | 12 | 1291 km | |
| 1970 | Jan Stachura | 12 | 1611 km | |
| 1969 | Wojciech Matusiak | 13 | 1795 km | |
| 1968 | Jan Kudra | 12 | 1757 km | |
| 1967 | Andrzej Blawdzin | 11 | 1682 km | |
| 1966 | Józef Gawliczek | 10 | 1272 km | |
| 1965 | Józef Beker | 9 | 1318 km | |
| 1964 | Rajmund Zieliński | 10 | 1394 km | |
| 1963 | Stanisław Gazda | 8 | 1482 km | |
| 1962 | Jan Kudra | 8 | 1278 km | |
| 1961 | Henryk Kowalski | 8 | 1329 km | |
| 1960 | Roger Diercken | 8 | 1336 km | |
| 1959 | Wiesław Podobas | 11 | 1621 km | |
| 1958 | Bogusław Fornalczyk | 11 | 2038 km | |
| 1957 | Henryk Kowalski | 11 | 1968 km | |
| 1956 | Marian Więckowski | 8 | 1221 km | |
| 1955 | Marian Więckowski | 10 | 1563 km | |
| 1954 | Marian Więckowski | 12 | 1925 km | |
| 1953 | Mieczysław Wilczewski | 13 | 2311 km | |
| 1952 | Wacław Wójcik | 11 | 1959 km | |
| 1949 | Francesco Locatelli | 12 | 1994 km | |
| 1948 | Wacław Wójcik | 11 | 1963 km | |
| 1947 | Stanislaw Grzelak | 4 | 606 km | |
| 1939 | Bolesław Napierała Bolesław Napierała Bolesław Napierała was a Polish cycling champion, twice winner of the Tour de Pologne. He was born in Marten, Germany to a family of Polish immigrants, and in 1918, when Poland regained independence, the family moved back to their homeland. However, after a few years, the Napieralas left Poland... |
8 | 1291 km | |
| 1937 | Bolesław Napierała Bolesław Napierała Bolesław Napierała was a Polish cycling champion, twice winner of the Tour de Pologne. He was born in Marten, Germany to a family of Polish immigrants, and in 1918, when Poland regained independence, the family moved back to their homeland. However, after a few years, the Napieralas left Poland... |
9 | 1336 km | |
| 1933 | Jerzy Lipiński | 9 | 1721 km | |
| 1929 | Józef Stefański | 12 | 2250 km | |
| 1928 | Feliks Więcek | 8 | 1491 km |
External links
- http://www.tourdepologne.pl/en/7etap_wyniki.asp