The final stage of the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix has arrived. The competition will take place in a special, joyful atmosphere – today we celebrate the 70th birthday of the General Director of the race, Czesław Lang, who will kick off the day by participating in the ORLEN Lang Team Race. Later, the young riders will take on the climbs of the Bieszczady Mountains, racing on a tough route from Lesko, Lesko County, to the Arłamów Hotel.
Youth cycling can be loved for its unpredictability. This was evident in yesterday’s stage of the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix, where riders from lower positions in the general classification battled for top spots. Thanks to excellent riding, they managed to move up and are still in contention for top places!
That’s why there is great anticipation for today’s stage from Lesko to the Arłamów Hotel. Riders face nearly 150 kilometers of competition with many climbs. Some of these are familiar from yesterday’s stage – Kalwaria Pacławska, Gruszowa, and Fredropol, where a special bonus sprint will be located – a place where the best climbers will battle it out.
Yesterday’s stage showed the riders’ commitment and determination to fight to the end. The leader’s jersey changed hands – it’s now worn by Austrian Marco Schrettl. He currently holds a 40-second lead over Italy’s Ludovico Maria Mellano, but nothing is decided yet.
“It will definitely be hard to defend the lead, but together with the team, we’ll do everything to keep it until the end” said the Austrian.
Other riders also have their sights set on success, including yesterday’s stage winner – Denmark’s Tobias Svarre – who is currently fourth in the general classification sponsored by ORLEN, the Title Sponsor of the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix. “Now I know how to win stages here, so I’ll try again tomorrow” said the Dane, who was the best at the Arłamów Hotel finish. Polish fans will be hoping for a strong performance from Mateusz Gajdulewicz, currently in 6th place.
“I’ll definitely fight, give it my all, and leave everything on the road, but we’ll see how it goes” said the Pole.
A Festival of Cycling
Saturday at the Arłamów Hotel isn’t just the finish of the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix. It’s also the first edition of this year’s ORLEN Lang Team Race and the birthday of Czesław Lang, General Director of the Lang Team, who turns 70 today. The birthday celebrant is still in top shape and inseparable from his bike – he’ll start the ORLEN Lang Team Race in the morning with his fellow riders from the peloton!
“This will be a special edition of the ORLEN Lang Team Race. On the day of the race, I’ll be celebrating my 70th birthday, so I’d like to surprise every participant and ride along with them. We’ll be inviting great cycling champions such as Darek Baranowski, Krzysztof Sujka, Lechosław Michalak, Jan Faltyn, Henryk Charucki, and many, many others. Together, we’ll start from the Arłamów Hotel and return there as well, but before that, we’ll ride through places like Gruszowa and Kalwaria Pacławska. It’s going to be great fun” said Czesław Lang.
The start and finish of the ORLEN Lang Team Race – just like the finishes of the last three stages of the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix – will be located at the Arłamów Hotel, which once again plays host to a major cycling event.
“Hats off to the organizers, because securing long stages is one thing, but then organizing the finish at the Arłamów Hotel – accommodating guests, suppliers, employees, local residents, and handling all the traffic in a way that keeps everyone satisfied – is not easy. It has to be done smartly, with excellent operational awareness. That’s why we start working on an event like this well in advance – already three months earlier, it becomes intense work that refines every detail of the event. Improvisation is great – as long as it’s well prepared. That’s my motto, and I stick to it” said Michał Kozak, President of the Management Board of the Arłamów Hotel.
The winner of the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix should be known before 5:00 PM. The ORLEN Nations Grand Prix can be followed through the media. 25-minute highlight reels of each stage will be broadcast in the evenings on TVP Sport (today at 10:35 PM), and updates from the race appear on various Polish Television channels – including daily reports on TVP 2, TVN, as well as on Polish Radio’s “Jedynka” and “Trójka”, and on Onet.
