As part of the prestigious UCI Nations Cup series, the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix has established itself as one of the most significant events for under-23 riders in the cycling calendar. Nearly 20 participants from this year’s edition will join professional first- and second-division teams next season, including INEOS Grenadiers and Team Visma | Lease a Bike!
In the era of Pogačars and Evenepoels, who have dominated the professional peloton from a young age, it’s easy to overlook the importance of the U23 category. However, its value is emphasized by the riders and renowned coaches, such as Sven Vanthourenhout, the former coach of Belgium’s national team.
– The ORLEN Nations Grand Prix is one of the races and categories important for the future. Young riders learn how to compete in an international peloton. We teach them how to strategize, control races, and often, results aren’t the most important – bad days are also crucial lessons – explained Vanthourenhout, who coached Remco Evenepoel to a world championship and two Olympic gold medals.
The education, experience, and competition at the UCI Nations Cup level yield results, as seen in this year’s ORLEN Nations Grand Prix. Like in previous years, the race attracted stars of youth cycling.
Over five days of racing on the roads of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland, talented riders delivered thrilling performances that caught the attention of professional team managers and scouts. Nearly 20 riders from the peloton of the 6th ORLEN Nations Grand Prix will join World Tour and ProTeams – the two highest cycling divisions – next season. These are the teams eligible to participate in UCI World Tour events, including the Tour de Pologne.
The promotion to the top divisions particularly rewarded the best riders of the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix. General classification winner Mathys Rondel joined the ProTeam Tudor Pro Cycling in July, while his teammate Brieuc Rolland signed a two-year contract with Groupama-FDJ.
The career of last year’s ORLEN Nations Grand Prix winner, Gal Glivar, is also progressing rapidly. The Slovenian, who also competed in this year’s race, will spend the next two seasons alongside Mathieu van der Poel in Alpecin-Deceuninck. Emiel Verstrynge and Ramses Debruyne, both participants in this year’s event, also joined World Tour teams, with Verstrynge finishing fifth in the general classification.
Riders who excelled in the Polish UCI Nations Cup race have also strengthened some of the world’s best teams, including Team Visma | Lease a Bike and INEOS Grenadiers. British rider Matthew Brennan, who impressed with his versatility in the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix – never finishing lower than sixth on any stage – joined the Dutch team featuring two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard shortly after the event.
Peter Oxenberg, a Dane who showcased bold tactics to win in Jasło, will join INEOS Grenadiers. Overall, nearly 20 riders from the 2024 ORLEN Nations Grand Prix peloton turned professional, with another 20 set to compete in development teams of the world’s top squads.
Polish riders also seized the opportunity to shine against the best in the U23 category. This year, Filip Gruszczyński, a first-year U23 rider, finished a strong 12th in the ORLEN general classification. Thanks to this result, the 19-year-old secured a traineeship with the World Tour team Cofidis, competing in several races at the season’s end. He will continue with his current team, Italy’s Biesse Carrera, specializing in nurturing young talent.
– I’m thrilled to have a partner like ORLEN, with whom we’ve been organizing this race since 2019. Thanks to this partnership, we can host an event that was previously lacking not only in Poland but also in Europe. It’s the best way to develop the sport, giving young riders a chance to dream of becoming World Tour professionals. I always say, where there’s a theater, there are actors – if riders play their roles well, they’ll advance to the World Tour and perform in the world’s biggest events. It’s deeply satisfying and part of our mission. Champions aren’t born overnight – you need solid foundations. We also organize the Tour de Pologne Junior, and for U23 riders, we provide a platform to showcase their talent and progress to the World Tour – commented Czesław Lang, General Director of the Lang Team and the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix.
The above statistics are a powerful endorsement of the event, demonstrating that the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix is truly a springboard to the World Tour. Future stars of the global peloton will return to Polish roads from May 14–18 for the seventh edition of the race.
