Two weeks before the Vuelta, illness strikes in Poland: Visma, Quick Step, and Kwiatkowski affected

Visma was the first team to report a withdrawal on Saturday morning. Niklas Behrens was unable to continue. The German, who also broke his collarbone earlier this season in his first year with the team, will return home to recover. The 21-year-old world champion for U23 riders hopes that 2026 will be a better year for him.

Illness also struck INEOS Grenadiers. In addition to Magnus Sheffield, home rider Michal Kwiatkowski had to say goodbye to his race in Poland with a heavy heart. “I felt a sore throat at night and also have a fever,” Kwiatkowski wrote on his social media channels. “A joint decision of the team and I is to get back to full health before the start of Vuelta a España.”

At Soudal-Quick Step, Ethan Hayter and Andrea Raccagni were forced to withdraw. Picnic PostNL will not be able to call on sprinter Casper van Uden for the final days in Poland, and Paul Ourselin did not start on day 6 for Cofidis. Pawel Bernas of the Polish team also called it quits. It is not clear whether all these men were ill.