66th Tour de Pologne - Tour of Poland Parcours Preview
ProTour Event doesn't lack challenges in its 1,253 kilometers... stages, stage profiles and teams.

66th Tour de Pologne - Tour of Poland
The ProTour race opens on stage 1 with 9 laps on a 12 kilometer fast and flat circuit around Warsaw sure to see the sprinters taking center stage. The following day, stage 2 is another day for the sprinters over 219 flat to rolling kilometers in Northeastern Poland. 

Stage 2 Tour of Poland Serock - Bialystok - 219.1 km

The third stage, once again presents another opportunity for the sprinters, at 225 km;  however we can't easily dismiss opportunities for the adventurers to escape for a stage win.

stage 3 Tour of Poland Bielsk Podlaski - Lublin  - 225.1 km

Stage 4 is more of the same with a bumpier profile and a length of 239.7 kilometers (the longest of the tour) which favors the classic specialists with the last climbs coming in the final 20 km leading to a flat finish in  Rzeszów.

Stage 4 Tour of Poland Naleczów / Wojciechow - Rzeszów - 239.7 km

A challenging 5th stage follows over 162.2 kilometers with the tour's climbers festival warming up, the climbing begins for the mountain goats after 67 kilometers with the major obstacle coming with a 500 meter climb to 760 meters at the 107 km mark where the riders enter the final four up and down 13.1 km circuits in Krynika-Zdrój. The finishing circuits will feature a battle of the climbers to gain the upper hand in the KOM classification with 8 prizes crammed into the final 56 kilometers for an exciting stage finish.

Stage 5 Tour of Poland  Strzyzów - Krynika-Zdrój - 163 km

the climbers festival continues on Friday's Queen Stage. The162 km stage starts with the roads reaching to the sky from the start with plenty of climbs for the mountain goats to claim time and make their bid for the general classification and the mantle of the 2009 Tour of Poland Mountain King. The day features no less than 10 tough ranked climbs with the finale fought out over a 27 kilometer circuit on the climbs of the Murzasichle  and Glodowska. The stage only lacks a summit finish, but with only 6.7 kilometers to the finish afer the final climb of the Murzasichle to the uphill finish I think we can be confident that the stage winner will come from a selection of the climbing talent in the race.

Stage 6 Kroscienko nad Dunajcem - Zakopane - 162.2 km

The final stage of the tour is a rolling, hilly stage over 136.5 kilometers to the finish in Krakow on Saturday. Expect a brave attempt by the teams to send their stage hunters out on an all day expedition to satisfy the demand for the teams stage wins and the sprinters teams to try to pull the optimists back for a sprint finish.

Stage 7 Tour of Poland Rabka Zdrój - Krakau - 136.5 km

66th Tour de Pologne - Favourites Preview

2009 Tour of Poland
August 2 - 8
Stage 1 Warschau  - 108 km
Stage 2  Serock - Bialystok  - 219.1 km
Stage 3 Bielsk Podlaski - Lublin  - 225.1 km
Stage 4 Naleczów / Wojciechow - Rzeszów - 239.7 km
Stage 5  Strzyzów - Krynika-Zdrój - 163 km
Stage 6: Kroscienko nad Dunajcem - Zakopane - 162.2 km
Stage 7: Rabka Zdrój - Krakau - 136.5 km
Total distance: 1.253.6 km
Tour of Poland website

2009 UCI ProTour Teams
ALM Ag2r la Mondiale France
AST Astana Kazakhstan
BBO Bbox Bouyges Telecom France 
GCE Caisse d'Epargen - Spain 
COF Cofidis Credit en ligne - France
EUS Euskalte/Euskadi - Spain
FDJ Francaise des Jeux - France
FUJ Fuji/Servetto - Spain
GRM Garmin/Slipstream - USA
LAM Lampre/N.G.C - Italy
LIQ Liquigas - Italy 
QST Quick Step - Belgium
RAB Rabobank - Netherlands
SIL Silence/Lotto - Belgium
THR TEAM Columbia/HTC - USA
KAT TEAM Katusha - Russia
MRM Team Milram - Germany
SAX Team Saxo Bank - Denmark
Wild Cards
Polska BGZ - Poland (National Team) 
VAC Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team - Netherlands
ISD ISD Cycling Team  - Italy

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