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Follow us on GoogleThe Tour de France has only just finished, but the next WorldTour races are already upon us. After Saturday’s Clásica San Sebastián, the Tour of Poland begins on Monday, Aug. 3. A successor to Brandon McNulty must be found, and IDL Pro Cycling looks ahead to the seven-day stage race.
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The Tour of Poland occupies a place on the calendar between the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, which helps explain the varied collection of riders on its list of winners. On one side, there are proven stage racers such as Jonas Vingegaard, João Almeida and Remco Evenepoel. On the other, classics specialists including Matej Mohorič and Michał Kwiatkowski have also won the race.
Last season, the victory went to UAE Emirates-XRG’s Brandon McNulty. The American rode the Tour de France in July and will therefore not return to Poland in 2026.
Recent winners of the Tour de Pologne
2025 Brandon McNulty
2024 Jonas Vingegaard
2023 Matej Mohorič
2022 Ethan Hayter
2021 João Almeida
2020 Remco Evenepoel
2019 Pavel Sivakov
2018 Michał Kwiatkowski
2017 Dylan Teuns
2016 Tim Wellens
2024 Jonas Vingegaard
2023 Matej Mohorič
2022 Ethan Hayter
2021 João Almeida
2020 Remco Evenepoel
2019 Pavel Sivakov
2018 Michał Kwiatkowski
2017 Dylan Teuns
2016 Tim Wellens
2026 Tour de Pologne - route, stage favorites, and start time
Stage 1, Monday, August 3: Gdynia – Koszalin (234 km)
On paper, the first stage of the Tour of Poland looked like it would favor the fast riders, although a 1.5-kilometer climb with a 4.1 percent gradient in the final stretch could still throw a wrench in the works. Normally, the sprinters in the field—or at least some of them—would have been strong enough to survive that. Jonathan Milan delivered and won.
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Stage 2, Tuesday, August 4: Miedzyzdroje – Szczecin (150.8 km)
On day two, we finished at 1 meter above sea level, and along the way we didn’t go much higher than 54 meters: this, too, was a perfect opportunity for the fast riders in the field. Read: Jonathan Milan.
Winner
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Stage 3, Wednesday, August 5: Gorzów Wielkopolski – Zielona Góra (193.5 km)
It’s no surprise that many teams with a strong sprinter headed to this Tour of Poland. When we saw the route for Day 3, we thought it would end in a bunch sprint for the third time in a row—and that’s exactly what happened.
Winner
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Stage 4, Thursday, August 6: Zagan - Karpacz (175.5 km)
On day four, we finish in Karpacz: a well-known finish in the Tour of Poland. It was raining in the Karpacz region, which led to a massive crash in the run-up to the final climb, forcing the race to be temporarily halted. After the riders were sent off again, Visma | Lease a Bike took the initiative with a series of attacks. It paid off, as Bart Lemmen secured in phenomenal fashion his first professional victory.
Stage 5, Friday, August 7: Opole – Kocierz (218.5 km)
What an arrival in Poland! The final climb was truly grueling. Jan Christen accelerated early, but seemed to have overreached himself. Still, he managed to beat Marco Brenner in a two-man sprint. Bart Lemmen struggled, but retained the lead in the general classification.
Stage 6, Saturday, August 8: Bukovina – Bukovina (125.6 km)
The penultimate stage is a traditional decider in the Tour of Poland, taking place in and around Bukovina. In the queen stage, Visma | Lease a Bike once again came out on top: following Bart Lemmen, Louis Barré also claimed his first professional victory. However, the team narrowly lost the overall lead to Christian Scaroni of XDS-Astana.
Read also
Stage 7, Sunday, August 9: Wieliczka - Wieliczka (12.4 km, time trial)
The Tour of Poland concluded with a 12.7-kilometer individual time trial, which was won by Stefan Küng of Tudor. The battle for the overall classification remained incredibly close, with many riders bunched together. Marco Brenner capped off Tudor’s success by winning the overall classification, while Bart Lemmen just missed the podium.
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- I don’t understand how you can break vertebrae and not feel much pain there. Does that mean the collarbone injury was just more noticeable, or can spinal fractures sometimes cause very little pain? Hope he’s fully healed soon.sprocketspiny01-11-2026
- The recovery-score details are interesting, but they’re not a substitute for proper medical advice. Hopefully the team are keeping a close eye on him and letting the scans—not the urge to train—set the timetable.jennifer1901-11-2026
- Pogacar’s point about the safety gap between the Tour and smaller races is spot on. Riders are going faster than ever, yet some finishes still have awkward turns and road furniture right in the finale. Organisers need to take this seriously.gearguru3301-11-2026
- Two extra vertebrae fractures is a frightening discovery, especially after the concussion and collarbone injury. Glad he’s recovering, but it shows why coming back too soon would be a terrible risk.breakawaybikerd01-11-2026
- The team says it wants answers “as quickly as possible”, but speed shouldn’t come at the expense of a thorough investigation. Since Picnic PostNL commissioned it, will the full report be published? The team’s transparency will matter as much as who leads the inquiry.cyclechamp4530-10-2026
- How can current riders give evidence without their comments being traced back to them? That seems especially important in a case about fear.raceready730-10-2026
- Olfers’ experience with the Rasmussen case is relevant: that inquiry also scrutinised the team’s decisions, not just the rider’s. Let’s hope this one looks closely at management and working conditions too.patriciaw30-10-2026
- An independent investigation is the right step, but it needs to be genuinely independent in practice. With 71 people already speaking to NOS and Thijs Zonneveld, Verinorm has a substantial starting point. I hope people can give evidence confidentially and the findings are made public.breakawaybikerd30-10-2026
- - I’m still figuring out the race categories: would a2 event like Battenkill attract the same teams and TV coverage as a WorldTour race?jennifer1929-10-2026
- - Seeing McNulty, Simmons and Jorgenson race on home roads would be a real boost. Hope this becomes more than just talk.raceready729-10-2026