The 2026 Tour de Pologne promises an exhilarating finale as 13 riders remain within 38 seconds of the lead. This stage 7 preview delves into the profiles, favourites, and predictions for this crucial time trial. With a shorter distance of 12.4 kilometers, the race will be decided by the riders' ability to gauge their efforts perfectly, especially with a challenging uphill start at 5.7%.
Among the contenders, Ethan Hayter, Rémi Cavagna, Alec Segaert, Stefan Küng, and Matteo Sobrero stand out as potential stage winners. However, the race is far from over, as several other riders, including Finn Fisher-Black and Magnus Sheffield, can take advantage of the climbs. The overall classification battle is also intense, with Christian Scaroni leading Louis Barré by 3 seconds, and Bart Lemmen by 5. The race is anyone's to win, as all riders are of similar ability against the clock.
The final stage of the race will be a time trial starting and finishing in the Wieliczka Salt Mine, one of the most famous tourist attractions in the outskirts of Krakow. The shorter distance of 12.4 kilometers means that not many riders can rely on it to win the race. The stage features a tough uphill start with 1.7 kilometers at 5.7%, before slowly coming back around and down.
The overall classification battle will be quite interesting, and very open when comparing to most World Tour events. The race is mostly suited to puncheurs, but one of the hilly stages features a rather long climb towards the end; and this time around the time trial is short, meaning not many riders can rely on it. Hence form will be crucial, and so will consistency throughout a variety of different finales that will suit different riders.
The race will be broadcast on the traditional channels, most notably Discovery, MAX, and Eurosport. As always, you can always follow the 2026 Tour de Pologne on CyclingUpToDate with our full coverage of the race. In the United States and Canada you will be able to find the race on FloBikes; in the United Kingdom it will be broadcast on TNT Sports and in Poland it will be free to air on TVP Sport.
