Rafał Majka a remarkable actor in the Tour de Pologne theatre

– “He was my mentor, my role model. For all young talents. This is a man you should follow,” said the legendary Tadej Pogacar about Rafał Majka. Such a farewell from the 2014 Tour de Pologne winner, delivered by today’s most outstanding cyclist in the world, perfectly illustrates how much Majka meant in the global peloton.

Majka retired with a wardrobe full of medals, but if one tried to gather in a single place all the trophies he earned for his leaders and teams, even a three-room apartment might not suffice. He won the biggest races in the world alongside them, yet he always emphasized that the most special emotions awaited him on Polish roads.

He first competed in the Tour de Pologne in 2011. Over the next 15 years, he returned to the home roads 10 times. – “I can’t guarantee victories. But I can promise that whenever Majka is in the Tour de Pologne, there will always be a show and fun,” he once said.

– “I’ve never experienced anything like it in 2014 at the Tour de Pologne,” he said a few months after his victory. – “Fans on every meter of the route, shouting ‘Rafał’, ‘Majka’. I always dreamed of racing in front of my loved ones and friends. Winning in front of them is indescribable.”

In 2014, life wasn’t easy. He arrived in Poland as a huge star, shortly after his performance in the Tour de France, which had made him known nationwide. Twenty-one years after Zenon Jaskuła, he won a stage in the Alps and shortly after another in the Pyrenees. He landed in Warsaw with the King of the Mountains helmet – in red polka dots – attached to his backpack, greeted by cameras and a crowd of journalists.

– “I don’t know how much fuel is left in my legs. But I’ll do my best to keep them turning in the Tatras too,” he winked.

The race started in Gdańsk, and Majka was welcomed by crowds in red polka-dot jerseys, shouting “Go, go!” – the famous motto of Tomasz Jaroński and Krzysztof Wyrzykowski from EuroSport broadcasts.

The Polish rider handed out thousands of autographs and rode strategically, waiting for his chance in the mountains. The entire Tinkoff-Saxo team was programmed for his success. Before the 5th stage from Zakopane to Štrbské Pleso, they set a very strong pace and planned Rafał’s attack in the final meters – a strategy he executed perfectly. Once again, the Polish cyclist won the Tour de Pologne, 11 years after his previous victory. Fans were ecstatic, and Majka’s triumph made front-page news.

The next day in Bukowina, he struck again, winning the second stage. Just 24 hours later, he celebrated an overall victory, becoming the first Polish rider to do so in the World Tour era.

– “I feel incredible satisfaction. We built a beautiful theater in Poland, where the best actors from around the world performed. It’s a huge joy that Polish cyclists also began to step onto this stage, that they had a place to shine. And finally, the day came when they played lead roles,” said Czesław Lang.

Majka never forgot the Tour de Pologne after that triumph. He returned to Polish roads whenever his race schedule allowed, unless it clashed with the Olympic Games or the challenging combination of the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. In tribute to Rafał, organizers occasionally routed stages through his hometown of Zegartowice, where the peloton was welcomed by his first coach, Zbigniew Klęk, and his protégés from the Krakus Swoszowice club.

Over time, the race became into a family festival for the Majkas. First his daughter Maja, and later his son Oliwier, joined him on the podium, while his wife Magda watched from the sidelines.

– “This is a special place for me, and it’s hard to say goodbye to it,” Majka said a few months ago at the Wieliczka finish after watching a film prepared for him. – “And this is certainly not the last time we’ll see each other. I will always return here with joy – just no longer on a bike.”

Polish fans will certainly never forget Rafał and his fighting spirit.