Race Around Poland 2025 (3) As explained in first review of the race I u…
Race Around Poland 2025 (3) As explained in first review of the race I unfortunate got pushed off the road by a truck close to TS4. However I manage pain normally decent and was able to keep going. Issues have been manageable. I went back on the road and kept pushing. Interesting on the road was that the climbing felt like being tough but I had to learn hat it would go harder every section 🙂 … I made it to TS5 at the end and had great help getting bandage and actually because temperature was down at night times I was able to borrow a t-shirt and thermo jersey. Thanks for all the Help at TS5. I am impressed about the support we as riders received at every time station. Onto TS6 was interesting. It started with a cool long climb. OK … it was long but some of the climbs before had been more intense and steep so this was somewhat easier to manage. Still managing pain I kept going. The section to TS7 was a bit easier but I had a bit of a mental challenge learning that one issue going solo without support crew and having no one around to talk to during the race. After TS6 the hard and most intense climbs had been done. So it was a bit more downhill and minor climbing from there on. Unfortunate close to TS8 disaster did strike again,. Had 2 flat fronts. The second flat front I decided to keep going because I was out of replacement tubes and the tire was shot. Unfortunate at end of TS 8 the last couple of hundred yards had been on gravel with rocks and split and … I crashed again. Normally no big deal since it was not fast speed … but hitting my fresh injuries made things worse and pain was not manageable. I decided to take a 3 hour break and once I got up again I prepped the bike and did get everything ready to go. Unfortunate to me. The issues with right elbow and shoulder caused me to not be able to keep the bike on a straight line any longer. To some degree it worked but was not safe. So I turned around and pulled out of the race. It was a tragic moment since I was in respectable position but the risk of another accident was getting to high. Was impressed about the help from TS8 to get me on train back to Warsaw and being helped in Warsaw from train to hotel. I was able to arrange pickup from Warsaw. So bottom line … I am sure unhappy about the outcome of the race. This will take me some time to overcome since I do not like not to finish a race. But I learned a lot. I believe the hardest parts of the route I was able to ride and did kind of OK. Some of the technical issues I can organize better and prevent running into those. In addition there is a better procedure for me that I could apply when doing the race self-supported again in 2026. So I am going to try it again in 2026 and hope to do better as long as cars and trucks leave me alone 🙂 From the races I have done this for sure seems to be one of the more insane races. Very challenging specifically in the mountains and require extra attention on very narrow roads in the mountains and somewhat narrow roads as well as old style cobble stone roads to deal with. Still the network of gas stations and convenient stores is very good even some are a bit further distance apart but once thats known it’s manageable. Looking forward for Poland again in 2026
