The winner of this year’s ORLEN Nations Grand Prix, Austrian Marco Schrettl, has signed his first professional contract. Until 2028, he will compete for the WorldTour team XDS Astana Team.
For years, the best young riders have come to Poland to compete in the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix – one of the most important events for the U23 category. This year’s edition took place in the Podkarpackie region, with stages finishing in Jasło and near Hotel Arłamów.
The climbs in the Bieszczady Mountains provided an excellent opportunity to showcase climbing skills. Marco Schrettl made the most of it, delivering strong performances on stages 2 and 3, where he finished 3rd and 4th. The Austrian rider took the overall lead on the third day of racing and held it until the very end.
The ORLEN Nations Grand Prix wasn’t the only race where he demonstrated his talent. Later in the season, he placed 3rd in the prologue of the Tour de l’Avenir, became Austrian U23 national champion, and finished 3rd in the U23 road race at the World Championships in Rwanda.
It’s no surprise that top-tier teams took notice. Recently it was announced that starting next season, Schrettl will join XDS Astana Team, where he will compete for the next three years.
Marco Schrettl joins a growing list of riders who, after strong performances in the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix, went on to sign with WorldTour teams. Previous winners who made include Olav Kooij, Marijn van den Berg, and Matthew Brennan.