Victor Langellotti scored a double victory in the Tour of Poland. Brandon McNulty seemed on course for the win in the tough sixth stage, but in the final meters, Langellotti overtook him. The Monegasque rider from INEOS Grenadiers is also the new race leader in Poland, with only a time trial remaining.
The sixth stage of the Tour of Poland was largely contested on a challenging circuit. From the start, the route immediately climbed the Ściana Harnaś (1.8 km at 7.9%). This climb was tackled two more times, while the Ściana Bukowina (2.5 km at 8%) was also featured three times in total. The stage finished with the climb to Bukovina Resort, which required four kilometers at an average gradient of five percent.
Bukovina Resort) Bukowina Tatrzańska)The race had an exciting opening phase. After several attacks, a breakaway formed with some notable names. Sprinters Paul Magnier, Olav Kooij, and Matthew Brennan—all already successful in this Tour of Poland—joined forces with six other riders: Timo Kielich, Enzo Paleni, Chris Hamilton, Lorenzo Milesi, Nadav Raisberg, and Reuben Thompson. Later, Marijn van den Berg also bridged across along with Colby Simmons.
Breakaway Including Kooij
The breakaway soon started to thin out. First, Paleni and Van den Berg dropped off. On the penultimate ascent of Ściana Bukowina, Kooij's effort ended, and not long after, Simmons went solo. However, the peloton never gave the escapees much space and started closing in quickly on the American. At 48 kilometers from the finish, Simmons was caught on the steep sections of the Ściana Harnaś. Towards the summit, Quinten Hermans accelerated, but after the climb, the Belgian was soon caught again.
Kooij in the breakaway - photo: Cor Vos
This happened due to a reduced group, from which yellow jersey Paul Lapeira had dropped off. In the section leading up to the final climb of Ściana Bukowina, the Frenchman was able to return. Meanwhile, first Edoardo Zambanini and later Jan Maas attempted short solo moves, but neither succeeded. Ultimately, UAE Emirates XRG and Bahrain Victorious—the two teams that had earlier led the chase—brought the riders into the ultimate finale.
Heading to the finale
A few kilometers before the Ściana Bukowina, there was an intermediate sprint. Brandon McNulty passed first, collecting three bonus seconds, Antonio Tiberi took two seconds, and the remaining second went to Rafal Majka. Then Simmons launched another attack, this time taking Gijs Leemreize with him. However, the duo did not last long, as Bahrain Victorious increased the pace approaching the climb. They set the tempo on the initial steep sections, while Lapeira lost contact again. It became clear he would lose the lead.
Meanwhile, Majka from UAE Emirates XRG took over the front from Bahrain Victorious. Brandon McNulty cautiously picked up the pace toward the summit, after which Tiberi accelerated twice more. Still, about ten riders reached the summit together, with the group growing slightly afterward. Several attacks followed, including from Rudy Molard and Quinten Hermans, but enough control remained to keep the group together. The battle would be decided on the final climb to Bukovina Resort.
Langellotti surprises McNulty
Majka led the pace in the opening part of this climb. That lasted until just over two kilometers from the finish, when Tiberi and Christen launched an attack. The group splintered, but many riders managed to return. McNulty then tried his own move, also without success. It looked promising when Tiberi accelerated yet again, but after McNulty and Matthew Riccitello bridged up, the pace eased once more. McNulty took advantage of this lull to launch another attack.
The American built a good gap and seemed on his way to victory. However, Victor Langellotti was not to be denied; coming from the back, he caught McNulty and overtook him at the last moment. This earned the Monegasque of INEOS Grenadiers the stage win. He also took over the leader's jersey from Paul Lapeira.
Tour de Pologne| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 03:32:58 | |
| 2 | " | |
| 3 | + 07 | |
| 4 | + 08 | |
| 5 | " | |
| 6 | " | |
| 7 | " | |
| 8 | " | |
| 9 | " | |
| 10 | " |
