MICHAL KWIATKOWSKI WILL BE ON THE STARTING LINE FOR THE TOUR DE POLOGNE
After a fantastic Tour de France, the Polish rider from Team Sky will be racing on the roads of his native land from August 4 to 10.
Warsaw, 30 July 2018 – Michal Kwiatkowski has confirmed that he will definitely start the 75th edition of the Tour de Pologne – UCI World Tour. Along with him the Team Sky line-up also includes another two Polish riders, Michal Gołaś and Lukasz Wiśniowski.
On Sunday Kwiatkowski finished a very successful Tour de France for Team Sky (Geraint Thomas 1st and Chris Froome 3rd). The day after the celebrations in Paris, he announced he will be starting in the Tour de Pologne.
“I’ve decided to start in the Tour de Pologne; it is wonderful to get the chance to ride in Poland for the delightful Polish fans, my greatest fans. When I saw the route for the Tour de Pologne I thought it would be better to start in Poland instead of the Spanish classic -Clasica San Sebastian- (which Kwiatkowski won in 2017). It is a good decision in terms of sports goals and I can meet my Polish fans as well. I have lovely memories surrounding this race. In any case it will be the road that dictates what my ambitions can be. I’m coming off of three very intense weeks at the Tour de France, where every day I gave it my all to help the team obtain this fantastic result,” says Kwiatkowski, who is currently the Polish road National Champion.
Kwiatkowski is coming back to Polish roads after two years. Last spring when he was visiting the Tour de Pologne mobile museum in Grudziadz, he said, “When I look through the museum collection, I see that my part in Tour de Pologne history is very small. But I have an advantage over a lot of the others; I can still ride and win.”
Michal Kwiatkowski’s best ever result at the al Tour de Pologne dates back to the 2012 season, when he closed out the general classification in second place (after having worn the leader’s yellow jersey for two days) at the end of a fantastic duel that lasted all week between him and Moreno Moser, who ended up winning that edition.
“We are happy to see Michal Kwiatkowski back on the roads of the Tour de Pologne. His presence will contribute to making celebrations marking 90 years of the race and the centennial of Polish independence even more special. With all the important victories he has accrued, Kwiatkowski has become one of the most shining beacons in Polish cycling. I fondly remember 2015, when he raced here in Poland wearing the World Champion’s jersey he won in Ponferrada. Furthermore, it means a lot to me and I get emotional when I remember a super young Michal Kwiatkowski making his first moves on the pedals in the Mini Tour de Pologne, the children’s race which now goes by the name of Kinder+Sport Mini Tour de Pologne. Kwiato is the best example there could be for all the kids who take part in this initiative,” says Czeslaw Lang, General Director for the Tour de Pologne.
At the Tour de Pologne – UCI World Tour from August 4 to 10, Team Sky will line up the following riders: Michal Gołaś (Pol), Sergio Henao (Col), Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol), Salvatore Puccio (Ita), Pavel Sivakov (Rus), Ian Stannard (Gbr), Lukasz Wiśniowski (Pol). Sport Director: Brett Lancaster.