The excitement following the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix has settled, but the performance of the Polish riders will remain long in the memory of fans. The White-and-Reds showed great form, particularly in the second half of the race, securing two spots on the stage podium. Additionally, Mateusz Gajdulewicz finished 6th in the overall ORLEN classification. “We have potential when it comes to young riders” said Tomasz Brożyna, coach of the Polish national team.
This year’s edition of the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix consisted of four demanding stages in the Podkarpackie region. The first two stages, finishing in Jasło and at Hotel Arłamów, didn’t go according to plan for the Polish team. First, the riders struggled in a sprint finish, and the next day, they were hampered by severe weather conditions – rain and very low temperatures. Despite this, Polish coach Tomasz Brożyna never lost hope for a strong result.
“Our overall objective for the race was to reach the podium on at least one stage and have a rider finish in the top ten overall. The first stage didn’t go our way, but we came out of it unscathed. The second day brought terrible weather, and our riders didn’t cope well in those conditions. Fortunately, the time losses in the general classification weren’t significant, and we still had two very tough stages ahead of us” he said after the race.
During the last two stages, both finishing at Hotel Arłamów, the Polish riders turned things around. They made use of the challenging climbs in the Bieszczady Mountains and launched attacks. On the penultimate stage, Dawid Lewandowski rode aggressively, followed by an attack from Mateusz Gajdulewicz, who finished third and moved up to 6th overall in the classification of ORLEN, the Title Sponsor of the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix.
The following day belonged to Patryk Goszczurny, who, after spending nearly the entire stage in a breakaway, secured second place.
“Everyone rode at a very good level, and as a team, we looked great – the riders complemented and supported each other. We were visible in breakaways, which paid off in the end. The results were very good, and the plan we had set was achieved 100%” Tomasz Brożyna admitted, adding what impressed him most about his team.
“Ambition, the will to fight, and the fact that they didn’t give up despite the tough conditions. They were in good form and well-prepared for the race. I was also impressed by the team spirit – the riders complemented and supported each other, creating a strong team. All tactical assumptions were carried out exactly as planned” he added.
The opportunity to compete against the world’s top U23 cyclists is extremely important for Polish riders – both for those on the national team and from local clubs, which also took part in the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix. A promising sign for the future is that three of the Polish representatives – including Patryk Goszczurny – are in their very first year in the U23 category.
“It’s important that we had three first-year riders and two second-year riders. This shows that we have strong potential among our youth. Team managers watch this race closely because it’s a showcase of all the top U23 riders. Every good result here is noted and could lead to a rider being noticed” Brożyna emphasized, also hinting at upcoming plans for the Polish U23 national team.
“We plan to race in the next Nations Cup event in the Czech Republic, followed by the Race of Solidarity, the Visegrad Classics, Tour de l’Avenir, and then after a training camp, the World and European Championships” he said.
Together with the aforementioned Czech Peace Race and the Tour de l’Avenir, the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix once again forms part of the prestigious UCI Nations Cup series – the most important set of races for young riders.
