Tour de Pologne 2025 Stage 4

August 7, 2025 It's another long stage of over 200KM and 2,200M of elevation gain. Starting in the city of Rybnik, the riders head South passed the Goczałkowice Reservoir on flat roads towards the first climb of the Przełęcz Przegibek (4.1KM at 5.7%) with 112KM to go. The Orle Gniazdo (2KM at 7.9%) and the Przełęcz Salmopol (5.3KM at 5.8%) come one right after the other but the top of Przełęcz Salmopol peaks at 69KM from the finish and is the last real climb of the day. Long flat roads take the riders into the final 27KM which are characterized by four circuits through the town of Cieszyn on the banks of the Olza River which should produce a bunch sprint. The race got underway under beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures. Three riders got away from the flag drop including Paweł Bernas and Michał Pomorski of the Polish National Team as well as Filip Maciejuk of Redbull-Bora Hansgrohe. With 187KM to go, the peloton was at 3 minutes 30 seconds being led by Steven Kruijswijk of Visma-Lease a Bike and Ayco Bastiaens of T-Rex Quickstep. The riders entered the hill zone in the middle third of the stage and it was Bernas who took the points at the top of the Przełęcz Przegibek with 111KM to go and a gap now down to 2 minute 10 seconds. With 85KM to go and the first time all day, teams woke up and got organized on the large road leading towards the Orle Gniazdo to position themselves for the narrow road coming on to the climb. The break swung right on to the hill at 80KM to go with the peloton following at 1 minute 35 seconds. Maciejuk led the break up which dropped Pomorski but the peloton were within 50 seconds by the top. Timo Kielich of Alpecin-Deceuninck, leader of the mountains classification, took the remaining mountains points at the top from the peloton and found himself with a gap. He decided to press on to get over to the break with the Przełęcz Salmopol coming straight away. Kielich made contact with 71KM to go and led the break for the next 4KM and took maximum points. Kruijswijk continued his work load at the front of the peloton and held the leaders at 50 seconds when they crested the Przełęcz Salmopol. Kielich accelerated through a cash prime sprint with 56KM to go which dispatched Bernas from the break. Kielich and Maciejuk pushed on, extending their gap to 1 minute with 50KM to go. Kielich was quite greedy and snagged the second cash prime with 44KM to go and sat up after taking all the mountains points and cash on offer. Maciejuk's chances were all but doomed but he continued on nonetheless with the peloton at 1 minute 20 seconds, still with Bastiaens and Kruijswijk setting the pace. A rush from other teams came forward on the approach to the circuit to get into position. Maciejuk entered the city circuit and crossed the finish line for the first time with 24KM to go. The circuit was quite technical with plenty of road furniture, turns, and easier cobbles to negotiate with the finish rising at about 3% for the final 400M. The first move came from Lorenzo Milesi of Movistar through the finish line with 3 laps to go. Maciejuk was joined by Milesi with 15.5KM to go but the peloton was just 10 or 12 seconds behind. The chase was not full on and the leaders retained 10 seconds when they got the bell for one 6.2KM lap remaining. Alpecin-Deceuninck got organized and went to the front with Groupama-FDJ, T-Rex Quickstep, and Ineos doing the same. Seconds finally began to come off the gap and the race was back together with 2.5KM to go. Enzo Paleni of Groupama-FDJ did a great job keeping the peloton moving fast through all of the corners and cobbles to bring Thibaud Gruel to the front with 1KM to go. Ineos took control and had two men in front of Ben Turner until 500M to go when Michał Kwiatkowski took over to do his magic once again. Paul Magnier of T-Rex Quickstep did not wait for Turner's sprint. He pounced early and went around from third wheel with 200M to go on the uphill drag. Turner tried to get up to speed but it was Magnier's day and the Frenchman took the victory by a comfortable margin to Turner in second and Tim Torn Teutenberg of Lidl-Trek in third. All of the work from Paleni was not for nothing as Gruel was able to grab fourth place on the stage.