The 3rd Tour de Pologne Women got underway in style. The opening stage was claimed by Chiara Consonni from Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto, who was the fastest in Zamość and became the first leader of the ORLEN General Classification.
World-class racing in Poland continued on Tuesday, with a stage starting and finishing in Zamość launching the 3rd Tour de Pologne Women. The riders faced 105 kilometres on a flat route, passing through the picturesque Roztocze National Park and Szczebrzeszyn, where the day’s only LOTTO Sprint Prime was located.
From the start, the peloton was active, with Charlotte Clarke (Black Magic pb Tonelli) the first to attack. She was reeled in, as were other riders who later tried to break away, including Martyna Szczęsna (MAT ATOM Deweloper Wrocław), Natalia Krześlak (TKK Pacific Nestlé Fitness) and Argiro Milaki (Aromitalia 3T Vaiano), the current Greek champion.
Around halfway through the stage, Sophie Marr (Black Magic pb Tonelli) moved to the front, building a lead of about 50 seconds. Iurani Blanco (Human Powered Health) gave chase but could not reach the LOTTO Sprint Prime in Szczebrzeszyn. Marr met the same fate, caught shortly before the finish. Back in the peloton, sprint trains formed, with Chiara Consonni (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto) taking top points at the LOTTO Sprint Prime. The final kilometres saw a determined solo effort from Anne Knijnenburg (VolkerWessels), who was eventually caught by the bunch.
The Zamość stage came down to a sprint finish, where once again Chiara Consonni proved unbeatable. She thus became the first leader of both the ORLEN General Classification and the LOTTO Most Active Rider Classification, and will start tomorrow’s stage in Chełm wearing the yellow ORLEN jersey.
“This is my first Tour de Pologne, and I’m really happy to be racing in Poland. I had never been before, but the people are so kind, outgoing and cheerful that it reminds me a bit of home. There were so many fans lining the roads and cheering us on, and the atmosphere was fantastic. This is also my first road victory of the season and my first with the team, which makes me incredibly happy. We were fairly sure that this stage would end in a bunch sprint 90% of the time, but in cycling you never really know. We worked well as a team, kept the race under control and close to the breakaway, and then I gave it my all in the sprint to achieve my goal. When I saw the 100 m sign, I started my sprint, and crossing the finish line first was an incredible feeling. Today, everything went the way I had hoped. Now we’ll see what we can do in the next two stages, but for now, I’m just enjoying the moment” said Consonni. Behind her, Clara Copponi (Lidl-Trek) and Kathrin Schweinberger (Human Powered Health) took second and third place respectively.
“The stage was relatively straightforward, but we knew the finale would be fast, so we had to set up the sprint train. My teammates and I were in a good position, and the finish was contested at very high speed. I’m happy with second place and tomorrow we’ll try again. We also have Emma Norsgaard Bjerg, who can sprint too, so we’re ready for another fast finish” said Copponi.
“It was a really nice stage. We’re here with a reduced squad, but we tried to race actively and follow the many attacks. We knew we had to focus on the finish. I blindly followerd Silvia Zanardi’s wheel and I’m happy with third place, although I’d like to improve it. Tomorrow’s finish will be harder and more exciting, a bit uphill, so you’ll need a lot of power at the end. We’re racing on good roads, the weather is nice, so we’re really enjoying it” added Schweinberger.
Just off the podium was Poland’s Kaja Rysz, who finished fourth.
“We were very alert, and I tried to hold a good position, although it wasn’t easy – I had to push through and fight for my spot. In the final, Marta Jaskulska and the other girls from the national team helped me a lot, and I’m very grateful to them for that. In sport, however, just a second in the wrong position can ruin the entire plan. We expected the stage to end in a bunch sprint, and we were prepared for it. Tomorrow, the goal is the podium. There will be a bit more climbing, which suits me well. After the Tour de France, I had plenty of rest – I was only on my bike a few times, mostly for easy rides. Now I’m slowly getting back into race rhythm, and it should only get better” Kaja Rysz explained.
Tomorrow, the riders will tackle a 100-kilometre route starting and finishing in Chełm, with a fight for points and seconds at the LOTTO Sprint Prime in Gmina Chełm. The start is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The 3rd Tour de Pologne Women is broadcast on TVP, Eurosport and HBO Max, with live coverage reaching fans in 65 countries.
