As rumours about the route of the Tour of Poland, the world surrounding the August race is in turmoil. The Orlen Nations Grand Prix has just concluded, won by Mushroom su Piganzoli, and now we are working on the remaining universe, which also includes the celebrations for the 30 years of activity of the Lang Team and the 80 of the race. If the technical aspect is in the hands of Ceszlaw Lang and John Lelangue, Agata Lang, 42 years old and with a child on the way, keeps a watchful eye on everything else..
«We are working on the celebrations – he explains – preparing specific campaigns. We will have a nice start in Poznan and the finish in Krakow, where we will have the final party in the salt mines, summarizing the history of the Tour of Poland."
One wonders if the near-concomitance of the Glasgow World Cup is a problem for you.
Actually, no, there is no overlap as far as we are concerned. The Tour of Poland ends on August 4th, the pro road world championship will be held on the 6th And that's not a problem for television. The Glasgow time trial will be the following week. We know how difficult it is to find a place in the calendar, so that's fine.
What's striking about your facility is the variety of options available: juniors, U23s, professionals, and amateurs...
We have many projects, this year we have increased the number of youth and amateur competitions. Il Tour de Pologne Juniores (it will take place in conjunction with the pro race, ed.) is something we are proud of, while theOrlen Nations Grand Prix It grew by two stages and we also brought it to Hungary and Slovakia.
The riders told us about a great race.
We had 25 teams at the start, including some important national teams. It's no longer just a national competition, we've collaborated with other federations. It was challenging, but motivating. Just as we're planning an amateur race in the Czech Republic.
Do you think the Tour of Poland could also cross national borders?
We have already done this in the past a departure from Trentino that we were very happy about. Lately, certain openings have not been possible: first for Covid and then for the war we had and still have on our doorstepWe have some proposals, but we'll have to evaluate them.
Does your company also offer cyclocross?
Exact, We will organize an international competition in January, already registered on the UCI calendar, which will also be called the Tour de Pologne. And it's not out of the question that the cross-country calendar will soon be enriched.
Has the arrival of John Lelangue brought more depth to the Lang Team?
He's doing a great job, like right-hand man of the big bossWith him, the staff has gained considerable experience, and we're growing thanks to him. He's been touring the route extensively these days.
Do you ride a bike like your dad?
No, John is doing it in the car (laughs, ed.) In any case, the presentation of the route will be on June 19th, keep that in mind.
Polish cycling has many young talents on the rise.
They're growing well, I'm especially talking about those who are juniors today. I think that within a few years we will have a nice turnover both among male and female professionals.
