Brandon McNulty claimed the overall victory in the Tour of Poland. In the final time trial, the American was much faster than everyone else, taking over the leader's jersey from Victor Langelotti, who fell off the podium.
This year’s Tour of Poland concluded with an individual time trial of 12.5 kilometers in Wieliczka. The first 1.5 kilometers climbed at an average gradient of just under 6%, followed by some rolling terrain, but the last 9 kilometers were mostly downhill. The time trial was not very technical and mostly straightforward. Split times were recorded after 5.9 kilometers.
The tension on Sunday was centered on the last ten riders, who after six days of racing were within half a minute of each other. Victor Langelotti started the time trial as the leader but was closely chased by Brandon McNulty (+7 seconds) and Antonio Tiberi (+20 seconds). McNulty also had to keep an eye on fifth-placed Pello Bilbao (+24 seconds).
Lorenzo Milesi on course for a time trial win?
In the opening hours of the time trial, we watched Brit Max Walker hold the hot seat for a long time with a time of 15 minutes and 2 seconds, but it quickly became clear he was not going to win, with all the top contenders still to come. Huub Artz briefly took the hot seat, but he was soon overtaken—though not by Stefan Küng. Lorenzo Milesi went into the final of the stage as the leader with a time of 14 minutes and 43 seconds, where the GC favorites battled each other.
Huub Artz - photo: Cor Vos
Among the top-10 riders, Marco Frigo delivered a solid time trial, finishing in a provisional fifth place—which would eventually be more than enough to move up in the general classification. Matteo Sobrero also rode a strong time trial, finishing just three seconds behind Milesi.
McNulty proves who is best
But all eyes were really on the top three in the general classification: Tiberi, McNulty, and Langelotti. Did this battle for the podium produce any real tension? No, the buildup to the suspense was much longer than the suspense itself. In Wieliczka, the American left no doubt.
At the first split, McNulty was already almost twenty seconds faster than the best intermediate times of Sobrero and Milesi, making it clear that the UAE rider would take the overall win. At the finish, he was 13 seconds faster than anyone else, securing the overall victory. Langelotti came in nearly 47 seconds behind McNulty, causing him to lose his podium spot.
Tour de Pologne| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14:31 | |
| 2 | + 12 | |
| 3 | + 15 | |
| 4 | + 16 | |
| 5 | + 19 | |
| 6 | + 20 | |
| 7 | + 23 | |
| 8 | + 25 | |
| 9 | + 26 | |
| 10 | " |
Tour de Pologne| Rank | Rider | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | 25:10:57 | |
| 2 | - | + 29 | |
| 3 | - | + 37 | |
| 4 | - | + 39 | |
| 5 | - | " | |
| 6 | - | + 47 | |
| 7 | - | + 48 | |
| 8 | - | + 59 | |
| 9 | - | + 01:02 | |
| 10 | - | + 01:09 |
