Tour de Pologne 2026 preview: Is Almeida the man to beat on his return?

The Tour de Pologne is Poland’s national tour and one of the longest running stage races in Europe, with its first edition held in 1928. It has been part of cycling’s highest level since joining the UCI ProTour in 2005, which later became the UCI WorldTour.

The race traditionally provides opportunities for a broad range of riders. Sprinters can make the most of the flatter opening stages, while the short climbs and uphill finishes tend to favour puncheurs and versatile general classification contenders. This year’s route follows a similar pattern, offering chances across the peloton.

A strong field will line up for the 2026 edition, including João Almeida, Santiago Buitrago, Paul Magnier and Jonathan Milan.

The 2025 Tour de Pologne began with a bunch sprint in Legnica, where Olav Kooij claimed his fifth career stage victory at the race and took the first yellow jersey.

Paul Lapeira won the uphill finish in Karpacz on Stage 2 and moved into the overall lead. Ben Turner took victory the following day in Wałbrzych, before Paul Magnier claimed his first WorldTour win on the cobbled finish in Cieszyn.

Matthew Brennan won Stage 5 in Zakopane from a reduced group, beating Turner and Andrea Bagioli after a demanding day in the mountains. Lapeira retained the race lead, but the hardest stage was still to come.

The queen stage around Bukowina Tatrzańska produced the decisive climbing battle. Brandon McNulty looked set to take the victory after attacking late, but Victor Langellotti passed him in the final metres to claim his first WorldTour win and move into the yellow jersey.

Langellotti carried the lead into the final time trial at Wieliczka, but McNulty overturned the deficit with the fastest time of the day. The American won both the stage and the general classification, securing the overall title for UAE Team Emirates- XRG

The 2026 Tour de Pologne features a varied seven stage route covering 1,111 kilometres. Starting on the Baltic coast in Gdynia, the race heads south through Poland before finishing at the Wieliczka Salt Mine. 

The opening three stages offer chances for sprinters, breakaway riders and puncheurs, with Stages 1 and 3 open to several possible scenarios.

The general classification battle begins on Stage 4 with the uphill finish at Orlinek in Karpacz. Stage 5 brings another demanding day and a summit finish at Kocierz Resort, before the traditional queen stage around Bukowina Tatrzańska, featuring three ascents of the Bukovina Wall.

The overall winner will then be decided in a short individual time trial starting and finishing at the Wieliczka Salt Mine.

Check out Domestique’s full stage-by-stage guide for the 2026 Tour de Pologne here.

João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is among the leading contenders for the overall victory, although questions remain over his form. The Portuguese rider returned from illness at the Tour Auvergne Rhône Alpes in June, but did not finish the race after failing to start stage seven.

The Tour de Pologne offers Almeida another chance to regain racing rhythm ahead of a likely appearance at La Vuelta later this month. He also has fond memories of the Polish race, having won the general classification by 20 seconds in 2021 while riding for Deceuninck Quick-Step.

UAE will not be relying on Almeida alone. Jan Christen gives the team two further options for the hilly and mountain stages. Jhonatan Narváez had also been due to start, but withdrew after breaking a finger in a crash at the Donostia Klasikoa San Sebastián.

Christen is at his best on short, steep climbs, while Narváez brings a fast finish that could prove valuable when reduced groups contest the stage wins.

Iván Romeo of Movistar should also be considered among the contenders. The 22-year-old has already enjoyed success in stage races in 2026, winning the Vuelta a Andalucía and finishing fifth at O Gran Camiño. 

Romeo was forced to miss the Tour de France because of illness, but he could be particularly dangerous if he manages to limit his losses in the mountains. With an individual time trial scheduled for the final day, the Spanish rider may have an opportunity to gain significant time on his general classification rivals.

Another rider to watch is Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious). The Colombian did not compete in the Tour de France, while his Giro d’Italia campaign came to a premature end on stage two. However, seventh place at Tirreno-Adriatico and 11th at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya suggest that Buitrago is capable of challenging for a strong overall result.

Christian Scaroni of XDS Astana has already won a stage race this season, claiming overall victory at the Tour of Oman. His eighth place at Liège Bastogne Liège and 11th place at La Flèche Wallonne also underline his strength on demanding terrain, making the Italian a rider to watch when the road rises in Poland.

Scaroni will line up alongside Victor Langellotti, who joined the team from Netcompany Ineos on 1 August. The Monegasque rider led the race heading into the penultimate stage last year, although he has struggled to produce similarly notable results since then.

Other riders expected to feature in the battle for the overall title include Steff Cras (Soudal Quick Step), Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Wilco Kelderman (Visma | Lease a Bike).

Several of the world’s leading sprinters are set to line up in Poland.

Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step), who also competed in the 2025 edition, will arrive with plenty of confidence following his performances at the Giro d’Italia and in the races that followed. The young Frenchman has the speed to challenge for multiple stage victories.

In Poland, Magnier will once again go head to head with Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek, just as he did at the Giro. In Italy, Magnier came out on top with three stage wins to the Italian champion’s one. Can Milan turn the tables this time?

Beyond leading favourites Paul Magnier and Jonathan Milan, Sem Welsford of Netcompany-Ineos and Jordi Meeus of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe are also among the main contenders for the sprint stages.

Welsford started the season strongly, as he often does, by taking a stage victory at the Tour Down Under. His best result since then was second place on the final stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, but the Australian remains one of the fastest riders in the field when he is able to contest a clean sprint.

Meeus provides Red Bull a strong option for the fast finishes. The Belgian can handle more climbing than many pure sprinters and will be supported by one of the strongest lead out trains in the race, with Danny van Poppel expected to guide him through the final kilometres.