The ORLEN Nations Grand Prix is a celebration of cycling for young riders – including Polish ones. Held since 2019, the event is one of the most important races and goals for local teams, who can test themselves against top national squads. “This is one of the biggest races for our team and we’re very happy to be here” says Łukasz Świderski, sports director of Mostostal Puławy.
Four Polish teams will line up at the start of the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix in Łańcut. Besides the national team led by coach Tomasz Brożyna, Mostostal Puławy, KK Tarnovia, and a mixed team composed of riders from local clubs will participate. For many Polish riders, it’s a rare opportunity to compete against the best U23 cyclists.
“For our team, this is one of the biggest races. We’re very pleased to be here and we’ll definitely aim to show our best. My riders are in pretty good shape, and I hope they’ll show themselves and maybe fight for a top 10 on one of the stages” says Łukasz Świderski.
“We have a mixed team — some experience and a lot of youth. I think our leader, Marek Kapela, can compete with the best. We’ll see how it goes. We also have a young rider, Wiktor Czekay, who performed well in the Czech Republic, and I hope he brings a pleasant surprise here” says Piotr Broński, sports director of KK Tarnovia.
Marek Kapela is one of the Polish riders to keep an eye on – he’s the national champion in the road race. He claimed the title last year in Płock, where he won the sprint from the peloton. Maybe he’ll show his speed again on the first stage?
“We see our best chance tomorrow, but we’ll see how the race unfolds. There are many great riders and strong national teams, and everyone is ready to fight from the very start. We’re approaching it calmly, with a cool head and no pressure – things usually go better that way” says Piotr Broński.
Mostostal Puławy arrives at the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix focused on breakaways. Last year, Maciej Banaszak actively raced for this team, and in the 7th edition, he will compete for the Polish national team. Sports director Łukasz Świderski emphasizes that simply being able to race here is a unique opportunity for the riders to raise their competitive level.
“We’ll try to get into breakaways, compete for intermediate sprints and possibly stages, but breakaways are our main goal” he says.
“Racing against stronger riders, at a higher pace, definitely helps improve performance. That’s one reason why this event is so valuable for our team. The guys are really happy to be here and to show themselves. There’ll be TV coverage and a chance to present themselves to a wider audience, so they’re overjoyed” he added.
“This is a completely different kind of racing. Nations Cups or pure youth races – it’s a whirlwind. Everyone fights from the start, everyone wants to show off, and no one calculates – that’s why it often turns into a brutal battle” emphasizes Piotr Broński.
The course for this year’s edition of the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix shows there will be plenty of action. From the very beginning, the riders will face demanding climbs, which will intensify as the race progresses. The key moments should come during the finishes near Hotel Arłamów – but it’s worth following the race from the very start!
