Race through Poland 5 – Summary

Day 7: The aftermath

Day 6: The women's podium

Day 5: Drenched

Day 4: The hat trick

Day 3: Bears, kisses and slashed tires

The second night

Day 2: Walls of Snow

The first night

Day 1: Full speed ahead

Adam Bialek

Martin Haubold

Krystian Jakubek

Wojciech Bystrzycki

Paweł Pieczka

Jędrzej Gąsiorowski

Philipp Hanneck

Paul Niehoff

Björn Lenhard

Jakub Tomasik

Juhani Saario

Aleksander Pachulski

Carlos Mazón

Thomas Günsel

Bradley Woodruffe

Michał Wolff

Tomasz Rozmiarek

Ede Harrison

Paweł Miłkowski

Paweł Małagowski

Jan Wollaert

Julian Klose

Claudia Decker

Michel Kaden

Michał Czubkowski

Joanna Ruminska-Pietrzyk

Dawid Stanek

Piotr Baranowski

Aaron Snyder

Piotr Gdowski

Bartosz Świderski

Konrad Boksa

Arno Burgi

Radu Cristiani

Piotr Skweres

Dragomir Titei

Tadeas Mahel

Maciej Łukawski

Viktorija Tomaseviciene

Wojciech Gawliczek

Bastian Schneider

Władek Barzdo

Krzysztof Sienkiewicz

Antje Graebe

Tomas Kovacs

Łukasz Bąk

Krzysztof Miłosz

Sylwia Kuropatwa

Frank Scholler

Piotr Łapsa

Maciej Cegiełła

Grzegorz Chłopek

Robert Schweppe

Vojtěch Jírovec

Rafał Palowski

Jarek Oglęcki

Rafał Kowalski

Pavel Klinov

Beat Siebenhaar

Kilian Kluge

Maciej Kordas

Mateusz Kotowski

Rafał Fałowski

Magda Hasiak

Ian MacNab

Robert Heinze

Marcin Kabała

Maja Naumczyk

Gerold Lehmann

Katarzyna Kozłowska

Heiko Franz

Łukasz Machowski

Łukasz Tarnawski

Karol Kamyczek

Andrii Goncharov

Marcel Łukasiewicz

Jakub Jeznach

Wiktor Bar

Patrycja Drzewiecka

Rafał Dziadek

Krzysztof Wolański

Eryk Stolarz

Christian Jung

Rafal Biernacki

Łukasz Piotrów

Krzysztof Szewczyk

Tomasz Zakolski

Robert Huke

Hannes Gruebner

Blażej Komander

Tomasz Jędrzelewski

Lucjan Kornicki

Wojciech Florek

Kinga Budny

Rafał Wanat

Matthieu Lifschitz

Thomas Chateau

Grzegorz Szamrowicz

Małgorzata Szwaracka

Natalia Rudzka

Bartosz Kaczmarek

Bartłomiej Kozłowski

Michał Orchulski

Radosław Rogóż

Luca Miles

James Stanbridge

Grzegorz Rogóż

MEDIA 3

MEDIA 1

The fifth edition of the Race through Poland is now history. Many veterans have called this the hardest edition yet. About 30 to 40 riders gathered for the finish party at PTTK Przysłop, the mountain hotel that hosted start and finish. Many stories were told and as you can imagine, there was a lot of food. During the party, more riders arrived. Piko used the opportunity to thank everybody who helped make this race happen – the team of volunteers, the sponsors and the partners of the race. 

![Party time](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4ToXboctK8CG1rut2qoF1v/163887bdec2c93a3c6d0c1742cc7e41e/DSC01851.JPG)

So let’s get the official part out of the way first.
The route planning of such a race is a complex task. In addition to finding the fastest route, riders have to carefully plan their border crossings, connect the parcours and also take into account the prohibited roads. There are clear rules as to which types of roads cannot be used, mainly for safety reasons. Just like there can be surprises in the road surface, sometimes it’s hard to identify which roads actually fall into which category. And sometimes the type of road even changes at certain intersections. If riders break these rules, intentionally or not, there are time penalties. It’s not only a complex task to plan the best and safest route, but the organizer also goes to great lengths checking everybody’s itineraries. In certain cases, if the gaps between riders are not that big, these time penalties can actually change the finishing positions.

This happened to the top step of the women’s category. __Ede Harrison__, who was the first woman back at the finish line, only had an advantage of 54 minutes over Claudia Decker. Over this kind of distance, this is a small gap. Unfortunately for Ede, she had ridden 17 kilometers on a prohibited road. This was an honest mistake in her route planning, completely unintentional and without her noticing. It’s a very easy mistake to make, but in this particular case, a fateful one. Ede had to accept a time penalty of two hours, relegating her to second place in the final results.

So contrary to what I had reported earlier, it is actually __Claudia Decker__ who wins the woman’s Race through Poland 5. Both Claudia and Ede – just as the other women and, for that matter, every single finisher – put in incredible rides and should be applauded for their efforts. This is a bike race but it’s also a personal challenge. I’m sure both riders have a lot of respect for each other and will be richer for the experience they had out on the road. This is another reason why I find it important that there is no prize money in unsupported long-distance racing. These riders do it mainly for themselves.

![Claudia Decker](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/15V25SzFpCZBOOGiUMGWLA/898bc96e0c295661aa00a35c9a16b4a1/DSC01154__1_.JPG)

And so the women’s podium has been reshuffled to:

__1. ____Claudia Decker
__2. __Ede Harrison__
__3. Joanna Ruminska-Pietrzyk______

The men’s podium stays unchanged at:

__1. __Adam Bialek
__2. Martin Haubold
__3. Krystian Jakubek__

![Adam Bialek](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6cRDYjTFUr7mAB3ZucXC9i/b65a391cd72786d13322a9e293e85f2d/DSC01200.JPG)

It’s not all about the winners though. Every single rider that takes on such a beast of a ride deserves utmost respect. And often times, the stories from the middle and the back of the field are the most inspiring ones. There are at least as many stories as there are riders.

![Shoes](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3iD7oNjmK7LeINXJLdtHg4/215fe643903f747c869928b16fce0ea2/ADR06265.jpg)

__Jarek Oglęcki__ had the shortest route with a distance of 1,440 kilometers. He took all the possible shortcuts, which means he had to endure the most offroad sections as well. At one point Jarek rode 140 kilometers over roads so remote that he couldn’t find any water for hours. Jarek became so dehydrated that he decided to drink from a tiny stream.

__Tomas Kovacs__ took a more northern route than most and even though it worked out well for him, he said that he felt a bit lonely at times.

__Vojtěch  Jírovec__ achilles tendon was hurting so badly that he bought sneakers in Banska Bystica and has been riding in them all the way to the finish line.

Most riders agreed that the final parcour is the hardest one.
The CP4 parcour was generally considered the easiest and most beautiful.

![Finish line](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3U9A65T8SIwX7EjTTO4ynk/fb36654702d9f059d95191efa8667204/DSC_7583.JPG)

Highlighting the spirit of the race, the last riders that made it to the finish line before midnight during the party received a special award. Inspired by the Transcontinental’s black jersey, they received the black bib shorts. 

![Ian MacNab](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5vBjxr1GQglnIxkW1OQzuR/c08c8de18057bb3dc6b06ade4c97a91c/DSC01909.JPG)

The fight for the finish was often an emotional one. __Katarzyna Kozłowska__ made it with minutes to spare. Such a great effort.

![Katarzyna Kozłowska](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/71jXQrqaBoDgp7GEYRmBZN/1d22a68e3a162fd1dfef29ce156f1c6c/DSC_7817.JPG)

Amongst the volunteers that helped make this race a reality was also the well-known Polish rider __Alina Killian__. To highlight the brave women amongst the race finishers, she awarded a special gift in shape of a little unicorn. Alina runs Babska Korba, a cycling club that promotes women cycling and does a great job of it.

![Alina Killian](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2fLiV0DMUL5cOunHhyAVxG/e19f879eb9650f76a1b44c34e1eb5215/DSC_2344.JPG)

![Unicorn](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4Dmhri4TmLnyI9BOGZRfAP/3b43642b3ab96f08e6a40f2dc9086a7a/DSC_7607.JPG)

The bar was open until two in the morning and lots of people stayed until late in the night. __Thomas Chateau__ and __Matthieu Lifschitz__ arrived about three in the morning. 

![Pair 229](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/43F6ySpMDCHxCfcE6xndfJ/f3a137e31240b517b7cfe2ad36653b1b/DSC_7227.JPG)

I’m sure Piko will continue pouring lots of love and dedication into running this special race. It definitely has a bright future.

![Piko Pulawski](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2GlNzpc5hvrpXnhDUcrCJG/e3cc9c989fd7221e57c6f6664e1872a0/DSC01854.JPG)

![Uphill struggle](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/32CIIGIOx4wks8mGQ8IPBi/ebbd8e7c88c2ca329fff8f7985bab00b/DSC01355.JPG)

I’ll leave you with this video by rider __Jakub Jeznach__, which gives you a good impression of the roads and landscapes riders were moving through, even if you don’t speak Polish: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrp5gbYkaXw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrp5gbYkaXw)

Thanks for following along. Until next time!

Photos: [Małgorzata Michalik](https://www.instagram.com/bite.of.me/), [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/), [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/)
Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)

It’s Friday night and more than 60 riders have already reached the finish line. The mountain hostel of PTTK Przysłop has seen the arrival of many tired riders, who have been eager to sleep, eat and swap lots of stories from the road. 

![.](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3eYXrB7K4Da5ZT7JyAkbRX/c5b53888d98002e65bbce2c163b6c805/DSC_6640.JPG)
![.](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3pul43J2W17AtGLzoZDnSf/d708ecea16eac63310868dc48c711431/ADR07022.jpg)
![.](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1UA9CIgEwRhxrbEjjM4U4W/cb993d39c5f87c03078839fefaae13a7/ADR06946.jpg)
![.](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/501g9Yc2yPV9906dbxWdju/06be44974fdfee5dc079cfc6d9c58ff3/ADR06983.jpg)

The party begins at 9 PM and there’s still a number of riders out on the course. They have until tomorrow afternoon at 4 PM to make the cut-off, even though most of them will try to make it before the end of the party. 

Photos: [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/), [Małgorzata Michalik](https://www.instagram.com/bite.of.me/)
Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)

__Ede Harrison__ takes the title of fastest female in this year's Race through Poland. The British rider took the lead early on and never gave it away, even though the gaps at the finish line were relatively small, so it was never really a done deal. Ede didn’t take a proper sleep break in the last night, but relied on short power naps. It took her 4 days, 18 hours and 4 minutes to complete the course. The TCR veteran only realized during the race that she was revisiting two legacy parcours of the Transcontinental. 

![Ede Harrison](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/Gp24kSt01gttyKO4CVvxd/d729c3132ae5176a491ef729c410a1bb/DSC01097.JPG)

Just 54 minutes later, __Claudia Decker__ reached the finish line. The RTPL veteran rode a really strong and consistent race and definitely improved on her previous performance.

![Claudia Decker](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6y6EmtI42fMJYnPludmBM0/efedd243e1e4066e3bedcbf931f780f5/DSC01279__1_.JPG)

The third spot on the women’s podium was claimed by __Joanna Ruminska-Pietrzyk__ with a time of 4 days, 21 hours and 46 minutes. The Polish rider experienced tracker outages, so for a while was flying under the radar. She also had problems with her other electronics but all is good at the finish line.

![Joanna Ruminska-Pietrzyk](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/0UfWvcyWQKegGxHShCpFR/41282f9e8ba4df86acabaac294dd8cfc/DSC01332.JPG)

In other news, American rider __Aaron Snyder__ missed his turn to CP4 and had to ride a detour, but eventually made it to the control point. He is not happy with his route in general and keeps changing it on the go because it includes too many offroad sections that he assumed to be regular cycling paths. 

While the pair 228 of __Bartłomiej Kozłowski__ and __Michał Orchulski__ unfortunately had to abandon the race, pair 225 is still riding, but no longer as a pair. In the words of __Błażej Komander__, he and __Tomasz Jędzrelewski__ got “divorced”. Both are now making their own way towards the finish.

Another divorce story is that of __Katarzyna Kozłowska__ and her race cap, which she must have lost somewhere. Luckily, __Matthieu Lifschitz__ found it, so it might eventually be reunited with the owner for a happy end.
![The lost cap](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/215x96A2hI0zKSHgHD3ERE/36869aaa2cf073cbd48e2fabda9993b4/IMG-20230525-WA0007.jpg)
*Source: Matthieu Lifschitz*

Love always finds a way. __Patrycja Drzewiecka__, who scratched in Trencin before CP3, took a train to Strba and climbed up to CP4 just to surprise her boyfriend __Bastian Schneider__.
![Surprise](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4BkbH2tsgQjEnxMixZEBn/e260435cc20ff99cd6eada2e49737e86/matbir05-3677.jpg)

The current lanterne rouge is a pair, riding merrily together. They are approaching CP3 tonight, which closes tomorrow morning. Keep your fingers crossed for __Natalia Rudzka__ and __Bartosz Kaczmarek__!

Photos: [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/), [Mateusz Birecki](https://www.instagram.com/mateuszbirecki)
Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)

Just three hours and 17 minutes after Adam Bialek secured the win last night, __Martin Haubold__ rolled over the line to claim the second spot. This is a relatively small gap in these kinds of races, underlining how strong and consistent Martin rode. On every single photo I saw, the man was smiling. To put his performance into some more context, Martin is diabetic, which certainly adds extra challenges to racing and makes this result even more impressive.

![Martin Haubold](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7mI2I5NqaVaMLIqobeqhlw/afed5f3de90cbed2d6408881e498e266/ADR05830.jpg)

The podium was completed by __Krystian Jakubek__, who had some bad luck with mechanical problems on the final stretch. First a flat tire, then his shifting cable snapped. Krystian had to put in a new cable in the rain, in the dark, in the middle of nowhere. These riders have to deal with so many difficult situations that go beyond just turning the pedals.

![Krystian Jakubek](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/79KoOiVDmZQMjykLKeeH4q/e6d95f02b453f7f65c77626e3809eb93/ADR05848.jpg)

__Wojciech Bystrzycki__ was consistently in the chase group and never far from the pointy end. He brings home a great fourth place. Wojciech also had to endure the wet weather for quite some time in the last night.

![Wojciech Bystrzycki](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5dAAuE3zDzbiaDObdsCyF7/38cb2024315e7d5912fd79e1ac277b0c/ADR05874.jpg)

Two time previous winner __Paweł Pieczka__ lost three spokes and similar to Krystian, also had a flat tire on the final stretch. He walked the last fifteen kilometers to the finish line to take fifth place. Rumours say this isn’t the first time it happened on the Race through Poland…
![Walking to the finish](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5lNgPLy1l2rXBjfJAFCkTj/c38655ed418be239504db1664abd3dba/pawelfinish.png)

The Top Ten was completed by __Jędrzej Gąsiorowski__, who recently won the popular Maraton Północ - Południe, the three German riders __Philipp Hanneck__, __Paul Niehoff__ and __Björn Lenhard__ plus race rookie __Jakub Tomasik__. So eight out of the ten fastest riders participated in the Race through Poland before, which goes to show just how important experience is. Most of the veterans said that this was the hardest edition yet. Björn Lenhard even came close to scratching in the final hours, because his achilles tendons were hurting so bad and the Slovakian bus driver wouldn’t drive him up the final parcour. Piko tried to convince him to continue by saying the last few climbs weren’t that hard. Which was obviously a big fat lie, but it worked.

![Mutual respect at the finish line](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/18TTLDqr2exiG2lvlSLfli/1918c525b8ef7c5388ed3b2cc49e694a/ADR05942.jpg)

The rain that plagued the front group also wreaked havoc in the rest of the field today.

![Through the rain](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5LBqWtXDzPD8Rl3TnzrDqM/4d5eb0d560bdb8bba63d5a7b2c2d2a9e/DSC_5711.JPG)

“My old lady would kill me if I get struck by lightning" said soaking wet __Michał Czubkowski__ after sheltering in the forest for some time, hoping that the storm would stop.
![Miserable weather](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/YuQ9CvXs9U46gVYQTpInh/2fd26f4510a2b491dd18eae48b3d750b/IMG_20230523_200419.jpg)
*Source: *Kamila Rdza* 

It was a tough night at CP3 as well. Lots of soaking wet and tired riders arrived and stayed for the night, trying desperately to dry their clothes and shoes. Morale was pretty low at this point. 
![CP3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/63vY29Sy0zfJgeGcsomNCE/4d611089dd53e77d056346c840f772d8/IMG_20230523_203338023.jpg)
*Source: Jarek Środecki*

__Pavel Klinov__ already had bad luck on last year’s race when he crashed out early after clipping a curb. He is having a tough time this year around as well.
![Hardships](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7lEhKmxnOGRSPA9hiF3yPE/5362087228598780f719cb4c0f769e73/klinovpost.png)
*Source: [Pavel Klinov](https://www.instagram.com/pavel.klinov/)*

This was posted last night. I’m glad to report Pavel is back on the move. Here’s hoping he makes it to that finish line.

__Michał Wolff__ had some trouble in Revoca yesterday. He was at a petrol station, but craved pizza instead, so located just the right place, though when he got there, it was closed. So he returned to the petrol station for the usual kind of snacks. However, by the time he got back there, the petrol station was also closed. After riding four hours in the rain, Michał tried to find some accommodation. Other riders beat him to it and all the rooms were already booked, so he had to resign to sleeping outside in his bivy bag. 

Ukrainian rider __Andrii Goncharov__ was forced to abandon with a knee injury.

Let’s hope our brave riders face less obstacles tomorrow.
![Traffic jam](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3OAK0Fb6im6UqzjQL5XGDH/04d93295247b47fd86619f6fcd70c3d3/traffic.png)
*Source: [Dragomir Titei](https://www.instagram.com/dragomir_titei/)*

To end on a positive note after all these stories of hardship and bad luck, __Paweł Milkowski__ stands out. He calls himself the “lucky kid”, because while everybody was getting drenched in heavy rain, he somehow managed to evade it all day and stayed dry. Isn't that something!

CP3 closes Friday morning at 8 am. All riders still out on the road have a good chance of reaching it in time.

Photos: [Mateusz Birecki](https://www.instagram.com/birecki.sport/), [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/), [Małgorzata Michalik](https://www.instagram.com/bite.of.me/)
Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)

__BREAKING NEWS: Adam Bialek wins the fifth edition of Race through Poland.__ 

![Cheers](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/69Ky2q7jiZYboxVOadG7xB/ea30a258b3b71382380449b56a95169c/ADR05802.jpg)

The German rider with Polish roots took the lead very early on and never gave it away. He steadily increased his lead at the checkpoints from two minutes at CP1 to one hour at CP2 to five hours at CP3. In Slovakia, the mighty Carpathian mountains finally slowed him down somewhat. He struggled with tiredness and the cold in the mountains. Adam’s lead melted to less than two hours at CP4 with a strong chasing pack closing in, but the defending champion was able to hold it together and managed to grab his third consecutive victory in Poland. This time it took him __3 days, 5 hours and 33 minutes__. At the finish line, Adam said this was not only the hardest of his three victories in Poland, but the hardest race he ever did.

![Winning time](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/36xUlXYyVCIclSRJxWuzIN/eff4292c674c2687aad1409872f6faab/ADR05811.jpg)

The fight for second place is not decided yet. __Krystian Jakubek__ and __Martin Haubold__ were very close together all day and leapfrogging each other, with Martin pulling away slightly in the evening, while Krystian had to fix a flat tire. 
![Bad luck for Krystian](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2eqJYPS3WKvHkUGcltZlNc/9dd45698c3cb28169e4dd5712ae136b1/puncture.png)
*Source: [Krystian Jakubek](https://www.instagram.com/ultratigger/)
*

Will Krystian activate his famous "berserker mode" and catch up for a sprint finish or is Martin time trialling away to take the second place? Anything can still happen. The finish is at the finish line and not one meter earlier. Keep your eyes on these dots.

![Martin Haubold](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7xx8ZxPquJkrCRKEWoHHez/487a96c3a8b1cc082feb2570194491f6/DSC00205.JPG)

Adam was reported to have fueled his stunning ride by traditional "drożdżówka", a kind of sweet bun.

![Adam Bialek](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3NY7lWx9V6HVN9Se6hmzib/150ec6ca18d44681092e9c32c175bdba/matbir05-0078.jpg)

Last night, __Paweł Pieczka__ experienced hallucinations on the climb to CP3. He told Piko that he saw two huge tanks blocking his way to the control point and he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to pass. After getting about two hours of sleep, he felt much better and pushed on.

![Paweł Pieczka](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/66VaKZGTCHzOVIhzy0377N/6636170e5b4e0760e35c53101b1a0e05/DSC00149.JPG)

__Wojciech Bystrzycki__ also desperately needed sleep when he arrived at CP3. So he rolled himself into a piece of carpet that he found in a small chamber where the mountain hotel stores their sledges. However, __Krystian Jakubek__ and __Martin Haubold__ arrived soon after and instead of sleeping were eager to swap some stories. Wojciech couldn’t get any sleep and pushed on. Later on he slept some more at the side of the road.

![Trying to get some sleep](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7kioQKNnMVTlBlqe4kYtwe/44b2f77b494013dcf8ec6895b7590e5b/DSC00312.JPG)

Krystian had issues with his front shifter and had to ride on the small chainring for a while, but got it fixed at the checkpoint. Both __Björn Lenhard__ and __Philipp Hanneck__ were so tired when they arrived at CP3 that they immediately fell asleep on the floor next to the volunteers and according to Piko, slept like babies. In the morning, they also left the control point.

![Krystian Jakubek](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/l2zwPXyiDv2szG1t36GyT/067840d873d0a236aebbe6507a4424e1/matbir05-2521.jpg)

What followed was a day marked by heavy rain and thunderstorms in the area between CP3 and CP4. Many riders got caught in these, including the chasing pack of Krystian, Martin, Paweł and Wojciech. __Julian Klose__ was lucky enough to find a shelter at just the right moment and decided to use the opportunity for some well earned sleep. The leading pair of __Robert Huke__ and __Hannes Gruebner__, which had to split in last year's race and is well on the way to a pair's victory this time around, also ended up in one of the rainstorms. Their clothes and electronics got completely drenched, so they took an apartment room to dry out, but the radiator doesn't work. Hopefully they manage to recover and go on. 

After sorting out his tire issues at a local bike shop this morning, __Bradley Woodruffe__ is back in the game. He lost quite some time, but is still able to record a more than respectable finish.
![Bradley Woodruffe](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/76mlAPPwaCTaW0MScE0lzd/4055cdfbd249a7dbb5d059e205f3743b/brad.png)
Source: [Bradley Woodruffe](https://www.instagram.com/woodruffebradley/)

If there was an award for rookie of the year, it would probably have to go twenty year old courier __Jakub Tomasik__. It's his first time ever taking on a race of these proportions and he is putting in a very impressive ride. The lack of sleep finally caught up to him on the climb to CP3, where he almost lost orientation, but made it to the top and finally caught some sleep. He is currently set to ride into the Top Ten of his very first race if he can keep it together.
![Cap 97](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/51Wh4OPM3JZM7Tj4sIEXpp/4a039de9794a0e97f01f96b37df7c693/rookie97.jpg)
*Source: Jarek Środecki*

Meanwhile, at CP2, fan favourite __Magda Hasiak__ bravely battled against the time cut-off. She slept at the bottom of the last climb for about two hours in a wooden building near the entrance of the national park, wrapped up in sleeping bag and space blanket. She did reach the control point in time and left before the worst of the rain started to come down.
![Magda Hasiak](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6R1trHCOIKqsan8gHmPgaQ/a6d82e3475332bd73debda70fb49ab9e/MagdabyKatarzyna.jpg)
*Source: Katarzyna Kropielnicka*
![Magda](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/VimQ7kilkHotTX4AhuE2c/afe7b30a107110cdc203f22eb1582518/MagdabyAnna.jpg)
*Source: Anna Małecka*

The last riders to make it before closure were the pair of __Natalia Rudzka__ and __Bartosz Kaczmarek__. Well done!
![Pair 226 at CP2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/9TG9J0niNPZEmFyKjT9sx/4e16c92f33f0492167bd887a62907aa0/NataliaandBarteklanternerouge.jpg)
*Source: Wojtek Jaguś *

CP2 was subsequently declared closed by the resident dog Bohouš.
![Bohouš the boss](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/317gpVWmjbMEDeb6kFEUfV/f3ebbf6ff9dd0ef745c46e018ed2e46e/cp2dog.jpg)
*Source: Wojtek Jaguś*

__Karol Kamyczek__'s isotonic sports drink of choice is fermented cabbage juice. The man is a chef, so he probably knows what he is doing. *Edit:* Karol is reported to be out of the race. Not because of the juice, but navigation problems.

In other news, __Olek Pachulski__, organizer of the popular Wisla 1200 gravel race, spotted what he calls a "strange dog".
![o.o](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1poUAHWzZwUiCYQTuXkjbc/c5ebc46e0c39e20c9c9a08597b9ff860/bear.png)
*Source: Olek Pachulski *

Unfortunately, __Jakub Jeznach__ had to call it a day and is out of the race.

We might have a winner, but this race is far from over. The weather will still play a big role in who makes it through and who doesn't. For most, the fight for the finish has only just started.

![Beware of the dog](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5H6RSO2Y0dFaBItoH9P9XY/eb47e65be3d3e86f546b33f5c431f8b3/DSC_5115.JPG)

Photos: [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/), [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/), [Mateusz Birecki](https://www.instagram.com/mateuszbirecki), [Małgorzata Michalik](https://www.instagram.com/bite.of.me/)
Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)

A huge number of riders was passing through Checkpoint 2 today. The weather is generally very good, especially compared to some of the previous editions of this race. However, some of the field got caught in local storms. 

![A storm is brewing](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6XvQyPBLfUZJneABd3pzq7/0e69d08bc6a4f792ed8ae86f43b82251/DSC00002.JPG)
![Danger zone](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2uNNdZNsY2kUjgXlZOZn4R/18879bc1fff00a722c73895629b41feb/IMG-20230522-WA0011.jpg)
*Source: Jędrzej	Gąsiorowski*

It’s no surprise that amongst those who reached the checkpoint, there were a lot of tired and weary bodies. 
![Sleep everywhere](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5CXxAc9XSe2FOYIhqwmsJ1/b53ce6650fe279b34fe42bbbb0ca9b1e/45atCP2snoring.jpg)
![Stretching is important](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5yhc0S66IyX2wxKnm6lIwK/46733653517fd4261c039dd8d285e78e/StretchingCap61.jpg)
![Sunny nap](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7hAAo3MfWYxBFVijSQpyRB/53bcfa98f74b309fcf818d30fae2cec3/sunnynapcap80.jpg)
*Source: Anna Małecka*

The volunteers are caring for the riders as if they were family. In some cases they actually are. Bartosz Świderski was greeted by his own son, who had the honour to stamp his father’s brevet card.
![Father and son](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4NWCejBgm4TqUkpC6ZhXye/3b89a4d23b2050234bc70d2c7f0df108/fatherandsoncp2.jpg)
*Source: Łukasz T*

Followers of the last two editions of Race through Poland will remember Anna Małecka. This year she is not riding herself, but volunteering at CP2, while her boyfriend Piotr Gdowski is racing. Even though all riders are loved, I can assure you not everyone gets a kiss at the checkpoint. 
![Love is in the air](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3DpV14FEVIaOKA7UXuPPeh/12751ba586e2e0afbd5e3c39e4c7438b/DSC08084.jpg)
*Source: Anna Małecka*

![All smiles at CP2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/21w49cMZcpR3qPSrkuVPkG/ae433ac9eed71086174deb1f38565dc7/ADR05349.jpg)

There were lots of smiling faces. I wonder if they know about the bears that live in the area around the checkpoint. They are so common that they even have names and are well known by the hotel staff. Apparently, one of them got close to the building just this morning.
![The neighbours](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6vv5KLVt7ulmH6ZlCCdrLP/c5876912d335c2f761eca63da003c5c3/CP2bearsbypiko.jpg)
Source: *Piko Pulawski*

Checkpoint 2 will remain open until 8 AM tomorrow morning.

Riders are finding water and food wherever they can.
![Ede finds a water tap](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/79zaOrcmfPKs8WGkBuhjGp/1aba56e5ae88e4fea653f7f5fe2d8113/DSC_4970.JPG)

As always, there were some interesting route choices.
![Nice road](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6hVWhxHvNqINMvSsAJKQm7/2f54ada8aa4fd5ae1a67a4a941d9237e/Routing.jpg)
Source: *Katarzyna	Kozłowska*

At the front of the race is still __Adam Bialek__. He was struggling to stay awake last night and stopped for a forty minute nap near the Slovakian border. When he reached CP3, he admitted that the parcours are very tough and mentioned that it's still a long way to go. Even if it’s sometimes hard to believe, Adam is human after all. He will most likely need some more sleep on his way towards CP4 and the finish. Still, he has extended the gap to his chasers substantially. 

![Adam Bialek](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6GUhqOYG7TJJFaArYBYRdO/d37d6e32269b7d574e4afb1eeefb9bbc/DSC00035.JPG)

His closest chaser is now __Paweł Pieczka__, whose more southern route into Slovakia seems to have paid off. Paweł reached CP3 five hours behind Adam. He has lost three spokes already, two in the front and one in the back, but that doesn't seem to stop him. After eating some fast food that he bought in the last city before the parcours, Paweł went to sleep on a bench next to the hotel toilet. Yep, it's a glamorous life.

![Bradley Woodruffe](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3ZKiStOO2OUuJgKNwJXQ3i/fda57fa2c7101bd35ff8e2754b51bbd5/DSC_5011.JPG)

__Bradley Woodruffe__ didn't have the best day. He slashed his tire on a gravel trail in the forest and tried to ride on after stuffing a lot of dry leaves inside. With only fifteen minutes of sleep since the start, he is understandably very tired and exhausted, so the whole operation cost him quite some time. When the media team caught up to him, he had already stuffed too many leaves in the tire and couldn’t get it back on the rim properly. Nonetheless, he put the wheel back in and tried to ride on. Then he realized it’s rubbing on his frame, so Bradley started walking. Scratching was on his mind at this point, but after speaking to his family on the phone, he decided to book a room for the night and try to find a bike shop in the morning. Here's hoping he finds a solution, it would be a shame to see his most impressive ride come to an end early. However, first it’s a six kilometer walk to the room he booked. We'll keep an eye on his dot in the morning.

![Breakfast of champions](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3kNKWoMs37V5rgwcTQq2w7/7dca4101651d81cd59bab5a8405a0e3a/DSC09896.JPG)

The __Scratch report__ is surprisingly short today. In fact, there is only one name on it.
- Rafał Dziadek has a recurring knee injury. He was hoping to recover overnight, but it didn’t happen. He says it’s a shame because he thought the route was beautiful.
With only 7 reported scratches so far, the DNF rate is low for such a demanding race. The relatively pleasant weather surely plays a part in this. Maybe it's also the high number of veterans who knew what they were getting themselves into.

By the way, who says racers need to sleep in bus stops or the roadside ditch? Pair 228 were spotted at the reception of a five star mountain resort this morning. And with that I say good night.
![Five Stars](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6TzSlUylVSfyhRHD1VP844/9bd419bb8670f4a7c5d3a8fc20227410/fivestars.png)
*Source: Bartłomiej Kozłowski*

Photos: [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/), [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/), [Małgorzata Michalski](https://www.instagram.com/bite.of.me/)
Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)


It's been a cold night on Luční bouda, where checkpoint 2 is located. Ede Harrison was the first woman to reach the remote mountain hotel, followed by Viktorija Tomaseviciene. Both made good use of the hotel lobby and got some sleep in the warmth.
![Ede Harrison at CP2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7L2mA9CrzwmBxlBDAFdChs/84c98aa0b588c03592a519fc3d8cf0d1/ADR05111.jpg)
![Viktorija at CP2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/60QJD0fp2OCA2qsWJNz2aO/bb5052aacd911fba3a89a96808de08e5/ADR05179.jpg)

Claudia Decker and Joanna Ruminska-Pietrzyk arrived in the early hours of the morning. All of them have already pushed on and are now well on their way towards CP3 in Slovakia. 

![by Adrian Crapciu](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6hS93v5s6m26WG3WzI6EvH/5cd38d928f90b6568fac9e0d88c6d95f/ADR04972.jpg)

While Adam Bialek pushed into Slovakia, his chasers Paweł Pieczka and Krystian Jakubek got a little bit of rest. 
![Roadside bivy](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7C2VnHGEnHSKv7aSMkoTvw/4db4d08ad317345bddc453af0b634b0a/IMG-20230521-WA0016.jpg)
*Source: Paweł Pieczka*

Krystian accidentally overslept by two hours, which cost him a few places, but possibly the extra rest will pay dividends for him later on. Time spent sleeping is an investment and it's so important for recovery.

Martin Haubold seems to have taken some rest in a pension in the Czech town of Rychnov nad Kněžnou, which seems like a wise decision given the cold night temperatures.

![by Adrian Crapciu](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3tLZSw9Ju89xjWLIEiq21v/bb8255d6cb902618d4ceaaa4d9c80821/ADR05048.jpg)

As to be expected, the positions of the top ten have shuffled somewhat during the night. Bradley Woodruffe, Björn Lenhard and Philipp Hanneck have all gained some ground. Bradley was kindly allowed by the employees of a petrol station to get fifteen minutes of sleep inside their restaurant area. Wojciech slept half an hour in his bivy bag. The media team met him a bit later in the morning when he tried to have another short nap in the morning sun, rudely interrupted by the noise of a lawnmower. When he realized he is in second place, he got up immediately and jumped back on his bike.

![by Adrian Crapciu](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/DRSHcGGgnHngJkSgbLmzP/7a12b38eb515e616d85a7dd83659ebbf/ADR04834.jpg)

Adam seems almost unstoppable on his way to the hat-trick, the third Race through Poland win in a row. But nothing is decided yet. The final stretch of the race through the Slovakian mountains looks particularly hard. Except for two little resupply stops, I cannot find any evidence that he slept at all since the start. So we don't know how he is feeling right now and will only find out once he reaches CP3. The media team (in a car!) is currently racing him to get there first.

Interestingly, his immediate chasers are all taking very different routes into Slovakia. Paweł is taking a more southern route, which looks to be flatter, but possibly longer as well. It will be exciting to see how that works out.

![Sleep wherever you can](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6jEyrwmhXL2P2XJa6Gf0Q8/533f9e9251e10bef47b863dcaff9b94c/ADR05211.jpg)

Of course, there's so much more happening in the race than just the fight at the front. Every single rider is giving their very best. Please bear with me as I collect info and try to bring you these stories later today.

![Fox](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2djHaY7mE5BoVS7srkBMb3/b6cf2deb186976316a1c183a233619bf/ADR04923.jpg)

Photos: [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/)
Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)

After CP1 was closed, all eyes and legs focused on CP2 today. But first the stamp itself had to get there, transported by train. The leaders were going at such a pace that it became close, but luckily it did still arrive in time.

![Waiting at CP2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5DF3LfOCxZBVkw7sXek1dG/f5423f8da96abdafe303fca296bdbe04/CP2waitWojtekJagus.jpg)
Source: Wojtek Jaguś

The group of volunteers was staring at the dots until the first one actually became a human that entered the building, exactly 20 hours and 50 minutes after the race start. That dot turned human was Adam Bialek, who had managed to extend his slender lead of two minutes at CP1 to one hour. What the volunteers witnessed was later described as a formula one pit stop. Adam got his stamp, changed clothes, ate some food, told a joke and was back on his bike within minutes. 

![Adam leaving CP2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/V9GOhH5m5GLjaDCMyLFke/5278b0bbe0d84c11feb291b975d02fe8/ADR04247.jpg)

The final climb of the CP2 parcour averages 12% for 6 kilometers, with plenty of bits surpassing the 20% mark. From the highest point, riders have to descend about one kilometer to the checkpoint hotel. After checking in, they have to go back up the descent which features 18% sections. 

The chasing pack of Martin Haubold, Krystian Jakubek and Wojciech Bystrzycki arrived within ten minutes of each other. Unlike Adam, all of them stayed for some food and in the case of Martin and Krystian, some bike maintenance. Wojciech was quoted for saying that he had been dreaming of hot food for the last fifty kilometers.
![Martin at CP2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5zlkXsS2skieUu6nyMWft9/0f273b42f86552663817be0ce456dfa9/ADR04300.jpg)
![The hunger of the long distance cyclist](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4FgwXERZVagAqyMNuxuUUm/19db00785baf093f9fc55c154515e0d7/ADR04412.jpg)

Bradley Woodruffe also arrived hungry at CP2, but was slightly displeased by the fact that the restaurant is upstairs. Any cyclist can relate. Climbing mountains is one thing, but climbing stairs just hurts. 

Ede Harrison was the first woman to reach the second checkpoint, bringing Jan Wollaert's lost brevet card with her. Viktorija Tomaseviciene is not far behind.

![Ede Harrison at CP2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4SIEYypYp6Mn6Zdc3VXsMf/79ea769f566548ea8d69027ef216a22d/20230521_213820.jpg)
Source: Wojtek Jaguś

This is the first race of its kind for pair #230 of Luca Miles and James Stanbridge, who reportedly “never climbed a big hill before”. Way to go for taking on a monster such as the RTPL for their debut. They are currently resting and hope to reach CP2 tomorrow, from where they will plan their next steps.

![Pizza time](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5cZ3X7ABqj8iKYxZRDCXHq/29c2a15c41c8954d34df76a1f9be2a5a/tepidbeanpizza.png)
Source: [Maja Naumczyk](https://www.instagram.com/tepid_bean/)
![Polish food](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5hwUihaLMQqfUqIELeKUD0/620633cca3a4cd775e53c02a43319167/michalorfood.png)
Source: [Michał Orchulski](https://www.instagram.com/michal_o_r)

Throughout the field, everybody has to get enough calories in. Eating is a big part of the game. And if you can’t get solid food, there’s always the legendary Kofola. Check the riders’ instagram stories and you will see plenty of appearances of this coffee-cola mix. 

![Pair 221](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/54VIQ4I4OdRuxburHpyAxm/b44b15c904f5902225c370986eb52d3f/DSC09793.JPG)

The team at CP2 has been comparing gear ratios and awarded the “Ultra Grinder Award” to Jan Wollaert with an easiest gear of 30x36. That has got to hurt on these brutal inclines.

![by Tadek Ciechanowski](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/HEgYM2KJ2ddBbZ5uYuu2P/fb987c7722785d2e78735d1f3b5ffb90/DSC00520.JPG)

As the sun sets for the second time since the start, it will be interesting to see who needs to stop for some well deserved sleep and how that will shuffle the positions in the morning. We are already seeing very different route choices by the leaders. Will anybody see Adam’s back wheel ever again or is he only going to build on his lead? CP3 is nestled deep in the high mountains of Slovakia.

![Katarzyna Kozłowska](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5fBsIoDvR79uDYXoAYM4Ha/55d6657bc30664445548983121904f20/DSC_4427.JPG)

With the amount of kilometers rising, naturally the list of non-finishers is also growing, so here is the first daily __Scratch report__
- Christian Jung tried to keep going but doesn’t feel fit enough and decided not to take any unnecessary risks.
- Krzysztof Wolański scratched with a knee injury.
- Eryk Stolarz reports that the climbs are just too much for him.
- Łukasz Piotrów states that he is physically not ready for the race.

Photos: [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/), [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/) and [Małgorzata Michalski](https://www.instagram.com/bite.of.me/)
Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)

While most of us were peacefully sleeping, a lot happened on the Race through Poland. Adam Bialek still holds the lead, with Martin Haubold, Wojciech Bystrzycki, Paweł Pieczka and Krystian Jakubek not far behind. Less than 20 hours since the race start, they are already on the climb to CP2 at Modre Sedlo, Luční Bouda, where the upper slopes are still surrounded by walls of snow, but the sun is shining.

![Road to CP2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/35MAzLilJ8Qd1edtJSxp1o/7c31f0b49de742eeda6879f891f7a296/ADR04045.jpg)
![Greetings in the snow](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1B0H7J1TuWVXBkA8u1otgC/15f794ad7c687e63e4d6b1873b1c0e94/CP2_Wojtek_Jagus.jpg)
Source: Wojtek Jaguś

It’s hard to say whether Ede Harrison or Viktorija Tomaseviciene is the leading woman, as they are on very different trajectories towards CP2. Claudia Decker and Antje Graebe are on their respective heels. Time will tell which route choice was the better one.
![Ede Harrison](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3Ob2DExsvCZtf3xXthRpfp/9cbda7292f1efc05455f90364ed20e7b/DSC_3397.JPG)

Speaking of route choices, the variety of options is fascinating. The whole border region between Poland and the Czech Republic is littered with colourful dots right now. It’s a beautiful sight.

![Dots dots dots](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1VoxDYNHfQlhJ6ammYCEQD/831a7f2270f462c848f0d90251db8f36/FMC_SCREENSHOT.png)
Source: Follow My Challenge

As always, some routes are more rideable than others. Who said this was a road race anyway? Jakub Jeznach went for the most direct way down the mountain, where he found some interesting trails.
![Rocky road](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2H5V1gzMhu1lwwzULB2yKp/f4a6e8907fe17469745c57beda6e6114/IMG-20230521-WA0001.jpg)
Source: Jakub Jeznach

Patrycja Drzewiecka declared the arrival at CP1 a reason to party. That’s the spirit.
![CP party](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2HZqM2xzujBrcqlCfY0AfI/48f79b57244211cff72803ee639973c7/33CP1party.jpg)
Source: Patrycja Drzewiecka

The British pair of Luca Miles and James Stanbridge were less inclined to party and used the comforts of CP1 to try and get some recovery in. They are struggling with a failed rear brake and will have to deal with that until at least Monday morning, when the bike shops open up again.
![Resting at CP1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7Lf58mahKEH1Gc7rSvOxzt/1447ef4fc62d632ba430d15baa2d1bca/230abcp1.jpg)
Source: Piko Pulawski

The team of volunteers at CP1 had a busy night with many riders coming in to get their brevet cards stamped.
![Antje Graebe at CP1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4tmc0cE2hpVulAOxIcDHhX/ffa205fa10dd90840340183bfe1c472f/DSC_4217.JPG)

Christian Jung, the physiotherapist who helped Krzysztof Sienkiewicz with his back issue before the start, ended up sleeping in a bus stop just 20 kilometers from CP1. After waking up, he started to climb Lysa Hora, only to realize halfway up that he left his tracker in the bus stop. After turning back and retrieving it, he eventually made it to CP1, got some more sleep and is well on his way to CP2. CP1 is now closed.

Krzysztof Szewczyk crashed out on a gravel section when his brakes stopped working. He has two broken ribs, some cuts, lost his shoe and cannot continue. He is currently in hospital in Trzinec and in contact with his family. His only regret is that he didn’t make it very far, so hopefully we will see him on the start line again next year.

Photos: [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/) and [Małgorzata Michalik ](https://www.instagram.com/bite.of.me/)
Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)


The briefing was held in glorious sunshine. Riders then assembled at the start line for a neutralized downhill start, leading them straight into a steep uphill with gravel sections. Newcomers to the race will immediately realize what kind of roads Piko likes to include in the parcours, veterans will have expected nothing else. The sunshine made way for a drizzle of rain and riders had to deal with wet roads early in the race.

![Briefing](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/72u2xtovxqyi9Qxboz3OvJ/64d966b94770dc521a5f5883f7679f07/DSC09293.JPG)
![Lining up for the start](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3qFJvl0DKYK4cVSBd9AhXG/1c6a225c0604608dc9f0b9f646c2d347/DSC09364.JPG)
![Wet roads](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/ZHH8RguOaw8ABWOzB9Jac/4c1beaaf8e34dfde0e97c33245ecc1a8/DSC09414.JPG)

The usual suspects stormed up the road: Adam Bialek, Paweł Pieczka, Martin Haubold and 24 year old retired pro cyclist Wojciech Bystrzycki formed a small lead group, furiously chased by Krystian Jakubek, Paul Niehoff and Bradley Woodruffe, previous winner of All Points North. Of course it’s way too early to draw any conclusions, other than that these guys are more than eager to make an early gap. The pace is incredibly high for a race that is about 1,500 kilometers long. Defending champion Adam Bialek was first to reach the CP1 at Lysa Hora on 1,340 meters above sea level. He only needed 3 hours and 54 minutes to cover almost 100 kilometers with close to 3,000 (!) meters of climbing.
![Adam at CP1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3l7611fiLDBkllWf8z9AEe/0e260a80740149543468af676420e82d/DSC09487.JPG)
Adam was followed by Wojciech just two minutes later. A further two minutes later, Paweł and Martin checked in. None of them stayed any longer than necessary.
![Pawel and Martin at CP1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3B9rwmlg3VNksfvkDX7zBC/9b1d2fea63717f02333f02835093f232/DSC09501.JPG)
Claudia Decker was the first woman to reach CP1, closely followed by Antje Graebe. A steady stream of colourful dots is now making its way to the checkpoint, so the volunteers on top of Lysa Hora will have a very busy evening and night.

![Paweł Pieczka](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1T3nMKPjWmcBMKvdapvM2h/854bc9609fba3fb4aee6ebd736010a77/DSC09443.JPG)

One rider that unfortunately won’t make it there is Rafał Biernacki, whose rim failed after 75 kilometers of riding, leading to the first DNF of the race. 
![Rim failure](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1MU78N1DqP034aelizlFzB/992275434bb061f92f58ba7546b03331/IMG-20230520-WA0015.jpg)
Source: Rafał Biernacki

Krystian Jakubek crashed even earlier, after only seven kilometers. Luckily, he didn’t get hurt and has already ticked off CP1 in the meantime. Paul Niehoff had some issues with his Garmin when trying to load the next track, but seems to have it solved now, as he made it down the mountain and is going into the right direction.

The leaders are heading straight towards Ostrava and the Polish border. Surely they will make short work of the flat plains to the north of the mountains. At the time of writing, Björn Lenhard is the only one to take a different, more southern route. We'll see how that works out for him. Łukasz Piotrów seems to be completely lost. He is heading towards Krakow. He hasn't informed the race director of a scratch, so at the moment we don't know what his reasoning is.

In other news, Krzysztof Sienkiewicz actually found a physiotherapist in fellow rider Christian Jung after sustaining a back injury while carrying his bike this morning. One rider massaging another before the race is something you wouldn’t see in a world tour race. Bikepacking races are different and that’s why we love them.

![CP1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7Fl5qkfBOdebCPgcCfIcll/dc7f140ca15322b394de3b3cc8c2238f/DSC09525.JPG)

Most races start in the morning, some start in the evening, but I don’t know of any others that start in the afternoon. The unusual start time will probably mean that a huge proportion of the field will ride through, or well into the first night. How long will the high pace hold up? Who will cover the most ground during the night and how many different routing choices will we see? Skip breakfast, tomorrow morning will be a good time to do some dotwatching first.

Photos: [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/)
Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)


Jesko von Werthern

Ride With GPS

Race Through Poland 2023 Tracking and Commentary: The fifth edition of Race Through Poland returns to crossing borders once again with the start and finish in Poland and the 4 checkpoints and parcours in Slovakia, Poland and Czech Republic.

Race Through Poland 2023 Tracking

The fifth edition of Race Through Poland returns to crossing borders once again with the start and finish in Poland and the 4 checkpoints and parcours in Slovakia, Poland and Czech Republic.

Race Through Poland 2023

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Race Through Poland 2023

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