Tour de Pologne Stage Neutralized for 30 Minutes After Mass Crash

The fourth stage of the Tour de Pologne, stretching between Zagan and Karpacz, was brought to a standstill with just 40 kilometers left to the finish line. A large-scale crash in the peloton, affecting around twenty riders, necessitated the race's neutralization. Among those caught in the incident was Portuguese cyclist Joao Almeida of UAE Team Emirates-XRG. The incident occurred after 135 kilometers of racing, just before the day's final two climbs. Heavy rain had made the asphalt treacherous, and the peloton was following a breakaway group that held a lead of nearly two minutes. The crash, described as severe and caused by the wet conditions, brought the race to a complete halt. Several notable riders were involved, including Almeida's teammates Juan Sebastián Molano, Jan Christen, Rune Herregodts, and Benoît Cosnefroy, as well as Wilco Kelderman of Visma and Rudy Molard from Groupama. The race was suspended for roughly 30 minutes while race officials conferred with the cyclists to determine a course of action. Ultimately, a decision was reached to allow the four riders who had been in the breakaway – Matteo Malucelli (Astana), Dries de Bondt (Jayco AlUla), Tobiasz Pawlak, and Patryk Stosz (Poland national team) – to proceed. Their established time gap of 1 minute and 50 seconds prior to the crash was to be maintained, and a portion of the remaining route was subsequently shortened.

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After 135 kilometers and before the two final climbs of the day, after constant rain, when the peloton was riding behind a breakaway with almost two minutes of margin, a serious crash in the largest group, caused by the wet asphalt, forced the race to pause.