The second stage of the Tour de Pologne Women took the riders through the rolling hills from Krasnystaw to Kraśnik. Laura Molenaar, a Dutch rider from the VolkerWessels team, triumphed by arriving solo at the finish line. “I can’t believe it,” she said after the podium ceremony, where she received the leader’s yellow jersey in the ORLEN general classification. Katarzyna Wilkos from MAT ATOM Deweloper Wrocław finished in second place.
The charming Market Square in Krasnystaw was the starting point for the second stage of the Tour de Pologne Women. After yesterday’s individual time trial victory by Sweden’s Stina Kagevi, nearly 100 international riders lined up at the start.
The scorching heat pouring down from the sky added to the difficulty of racing on the hilly roads of the picturesque Roztocze region. In the early phase of the stage, peleton rode at a fast pace, making it difficult for any breakaways to form. The first LOTTO intermediate sprint, was won by Dutch rider Scarlet Souren from VolkerWessels, earning her a 3-second time bonus.
As the race progressed, more attempts at breakaways occurred, with MAT ATOM Deweloper Wrocław riders among the active participants. However, the peloton kept control of the situation. Everything changed after the midpoint of the stage when the VolkerWessels team riders attacked on a climb and splitted the group. Only 24 riders remained at the front, with ORLEN general classification leader Stina Kagevi missing from the leading group.
At the front, the jerseys of VolkerWessels, WCC Team, MAT ATOM Deweloper Wrocław, and the white-and-red kits of the Polish national team, worn by Aurela Nerlo and Karolina Perekitko, were prominently visible. About 25 kilometers from the finish, Karolina Perekitko attempted a solo move but was caught. Meanwhile, the intermediate sprint in Batorz was won by Czech rider Nikola Bajgerova from MAT ATOM Developer, allowing her to take the lead in the active riders’ classification and don the blue LOTTO jersey.
The final section of the stage was intense, with Laura Molenaar from VolkerWessels launching a decisive attack. The Dutch rider could not be caught and crossed the finish line with a 25-second lead over the chasing group, with Katarzyna Wilkos from MAT ATOM Deweloper Wrocław finishing as the fastest in the chase group.
“I can’t believe it, this is my first UCI victory, so I’m very happy. I couldn’t have achieved this without my team, so I’m very grateful to them. We planned to attack on the climb after 70 kilometers, and we broke away with a group of 23 riders. In the final kilometers, we kept attacking. In the last 7 kilometers, I gave everything and reached the finish ahead of the group, unbelievable,” said a thrilled Laura Molenaar, who became the leader of the ORLEN general classification.
“Of course, I’m very happy. We have a podium stage finish, and we’re high in the general classification. Tomorrow is another day, everything is still open, and we will fight to win. There’s a bit of disappointment, but we have to be pleased and think that this is a good starting position for tomorrow. We don’t need to control the race; we can attack, and in this position, we feel good,” said Katarzyna Wilkos from MAT ATOM Deweloper Wrocław, who is third in the general classification, 25 seconds behind the leader. Scarlett Souren, a teammate of the stage winner, stands second and was on the podium today in third place.
The first two stages of the Tour de Pologne Women have shown the value of investing in women’s cycling. The riders provided fans along the roads of the Lublin region with plenty of excitement, and as the race leader mentioned, they were impressed with the organization. “The race is very well organized; I wouldn’t say it’s a second-category race—it looks like a Pro-level event. I thank the organizers for this race,” said Laura Molenaar.
“I’m very happy because I love watching the women race. They don’t hold back; we saw a fast pace from the start, and in the last 40 kilometers through the ‘Polish Tuscany,’ it was constantly up and down, breaking the peloton into six groups. At the front were about 20 riders, including six Poles in the white-and-red jerseys, who kept attacking and trying to break away. It’s very encouraging. Katarzyna Wilkos took second place, so I think the third stage will be just as exciting,” said Czesław Lang, General Director of the Tour de Pologne Women.
Sunday’s stage, from the Arche Hotel in Nałęczówto Kazimierz Dolny, will conclude the 2nd edition of the Tour de Pologne Women. Laura Molenaar will start in the yellow leader’s jersey of the ORLEN general classification, and Nikola Bajgerova will be seen in the blue active riders’ LOTTO jersey. VolkerWessels leads the team classification after two stages.
