The 4th Tour de Pologne Women of the UCI ProSeries rank – the most important women’s cycling race in Poland – has kicked off. The opening stage of this year’s edition from Tomaszów Lubelski to Zamość was won by Lorena Wiebes from the Team SD Worx-Protime squad, becoming the first LOTTO Stage Winner. On the podium in the Polish “Pearl of the Renaissance”, the Dutchwoman also donned the yellow jersey of the leader of the ORLEN General Classification and leads in the LOTTO Most Active Rider Classification.
Warsaw, 24 July 2026 – The emotion-filled stage from Tomaszów Lubelski to Zamość kicked off three days of top-level racing as part of the 4th Tour de Pologne Women. The battle of the world elite are taking place from today until Sunday, July 26, on the picturesque routes of the Lubelskie Voivodeship. Top teams from the UCI Women’s WorldTour stood at the start, along with the Polish national team and the only native continental team – MAT ATOM Deweloper Wrocław.
The first section was 138 kilometers long and was held in hilly terrain. The competitors rode through Krasnobród and Szczebrzeszyn, among others, where they fought for the LOTTO Sprint Primes and also rode through the beautiful Roztocze National Park.
Despite rainy conditions, the competitors showed a great desire to compete right from the start, initiating further actions. Despite this, the first LOTTO Sprint Prime fell prey to sprinter Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime), who, thanks to an excellent finish, scored a 3-second time bonus and took the virtual lead in the LOTTO Most Active Rider Classification.
Shortly after, a breakaway was formed by Natalia Krześlak (Polish National Team), Martyna Szczęsna (MAT ATOM Deweloper Wrocław), Grace Arlandson (USA National Team), Eleonora La Bella (Aromitalia Vaiano) and Virginia Bortoli (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo). The group of riders worked out a little over a minute’s advantage over their rivals, however, the peloton did not let go and even before the second LOTTO Sprint Prime in Szczebrzeszyn, it caught up with the active cyclists. There, the fastest was Quinty Ton from Liv Jayco AlUla.
The pace in the main group was very strong, and subsequent riders tried to work out an advantage. This led to the peloton tearing apart, the first part of which reached the final meters in Zamość, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In the sprint, Lorena Wiebes from Team SD Worx-Protime proved unrivaled, becoming the first LOTTO Stage Winner, the leader of the ORLEN General Classification, and the LOTTO Most Active Rider Classification. She will enter tomorrow’s stage in the yellow ORLEN jersey. “Today’s stage was very wet. It rained a lot, but I think it wasn’t that bad. At some moments it was slippery, but nothing crazy. On the hills there were attacks, which suited me, because it is good to ‘open the legs’ before the finish. The team controlled the race very well – first Lisa van Belle worked, then Lotte Kopecky and Femke Gerritse in the finale, and for the finish we had Barbara Guarischi and Marta Lach. Marta crashed at the last roundabout, which was sad because she was supposed to be my last lead-out rider and it was a good chance for her, but fortunately I was able to win. Of course, this is not the way you want to win – after a crash of other riders – but that’s how it is sometimes” commented Lorena Wiebes.
Another Team SD Worx-Protime rider, the aforementioned Barbara Guarischi, crossed the finish line in second place, and the podium was completed by Marthe Truyen. The Polish rider Marta Lach, who fell at the very end, also had her share in Wiebes’ triumph. “We had the race under control the whole time. There were breakaways in which we were not present, but we knew we would catch them. Later on the climbs we were always at the front, we set a strong pace. In the last meters everything was well planned and in the end we managed to win, but on the roundabout the asphalt was wet after the rain and I fell. Fortunately, apart from minor road rash, everything is fine” Marta said.
The best of the Polish women today was Olga Wankiewicz from MAT ATOM Deweloper Wrocław, who took 5th place. Additionally, the Polish continental team leads the team classification after the first stage. “I am very satisfied. This fifth place makes me as happy as if I had won, but it is not only my merit, but also of the whole team. We had the best train today and all the girls did a stellar job – it is thanks to them that I took this 5th place. Standing at the start we knew it would be hard to fight in such a well-staffed race, these girls will soon be riding the Tour de France, the most important race of the season. We knew that a place in the top ten would be a great success, and we won the fifth position” commented the MAT ATOM Deweloper Wrocław cyclist.
The General Director of the 4th Tour de Pologne Women, in turn, emphasized how important the safety of the competitors is – especially in rainy conditions. “The first stage brought us huge emotions. The competitors showed great form – we watched beautiful breakaways, attacks, and a fierce fight at the intermediate sprints. The finish on a slightly damp asphalt was a real test of technical skills and courage. As a former cyclist, I know perfectly well that racing in the rain is an advanced school of riding. I remember seasons in Italy when rain accompanied us almost without a break at the Giro d’Italia or Milano-Sanremo. In such conditions everything gets in the way – water splashing from the wheels into the eyes, mist in the peloton, worse visibility. Today, technology helps cyclists a lot: we have better disc brakes or wider tires, where the precise selection of tire pressure is crucial to maintain grip in the corners. Rain is always a great hindrance and stress, which is why our main priority remains the safety of the competitors ” said Czesław Lang.
In Saturday’s program of the 4th Tour de Pologne Women, the competitors have 118 kilometers to ride from Włodawa to Lubartów. The broadcast produced by Telewizja Polska from 1:15 PM will be available on TVP Sport, and a rebroadcast at 5:00 PM on the Eurosport 1 channel. At the same time, the race will be available to follow live on the HBO Max streaming platform, thanks to which it will reach fans from 65 countries.
