A great sporting event begins on July 30th and lasts seven days. The fight for victory will start from the opening stage in Kielce, and the winner will be announced in Kraków. The Tour de Pologne will ride through the Świętokrzyskie, Lubelskie, Podkarpackie and Małopolskie provinces.
This year, in solidarity with Ukraine, the leading slogan of the competition is "Race for Peace" to accentuate the idea that sport unites and brings positive values.
The history
The idea of organizing a national cycling race came shortly after Poland regained its independence in 1918. The sport was a vital element in shaping the attitudes of the Second Republic, and cycling was beneficial in that process. The cycling peloton goes out to the people and runs through their cities, towns, and villages. It is accessible to anyone as it only takes to line up along the street or road to cheer the passing athletes. In 1928, exactly a quarter of a century after the famous Tour de France launch, the first Cycling Race around Poland was held.
On September 7th, 1928, 71 riders set off from the Dynasy track in Warsaw. The 1,491 km (926 miles) route was divided into eight stages. The cyclists visited among other places Lublin, Lvov, Rzeszów, Kraków, Poznań and Łódź, finally returning to the capital. The day's hero was a contestant from the Bydgoszcz Cycling Club, Feliks Więcek, who won six stages and the whole race.
The post-war reality was not overly kind to the Tour de Pologne. The communist authorities of the Polish People's Republic favored their cycling project – the Peace Race. The Tour de Pologne, however, endured. The first post-war race was scheduled for 1947 with only four stages and a little over 600 km (372 miles). In subsequent years, riders from abroad started arriving to take part in the Tour around Poland. They had also participated before the war, but without much success. However, in 1948 the Swede Olle Persson won two stages. A year later, the race became a truly international sporting event. The whole podium went to foreigners in a race dominated by Italy's Francesco Locatelli. In turn, in 1953, the longest race in history was held. The Jubilee 10th Tour de Pologne included 13 stages and 2,311 km (1,436 miles).
With the race scheduled to broadcast on five continents, the 2022 edition of the Tour de Pologne will surely attract millions of fans cheering along the route and in front of their TV sets.
Please visit the official Tour de Pologne website for more information.
