Austrian triumphs in Orlen Race of Nations [PHOTOS]

The Orlen Nations Race is one of the most important events for cyclists under 23. The prestigious stage race once again gathered the best riders in this age category at the start, and the start list also included the Polish national team and three local teams.

Over the course of 6 years, the competition, organized and managed by Czesław Lang, has gained a reputation as one of the most important events for young cyclists. Top cyclists under 23 regularly come to Poland, hoping to make a name for themselves in the cycling world. As one of three races included in the UCI Nations Cup – the most important series of events in this age category – the Orlen Nations Race is watched by thousands of fans, as well as scouts of top division teams.

Many talented competitors also took part in this year's edition of the ORLEN Race of Nations in Łańcut. All the largest cycling nations took part in the race, including: Belgium, Italy, Great Britain, France, Denmark and Slovenia. The race organized by Lang Team is a kind of springboard to professional cycling, but the event also has a training dimension. Thanks to the formula of the race without radio communication between competitors and sports director, competitors must make decisions independently at key moments of the competition, thus gaining valuable experience.

The stage from Jarosław is the most difficult

The four-day competition began in Łańcut and ended at the Arłamów hotel, where the finish line of the next three stages was located. Along the way, the competitors also visited, among others: Jasło, Jarosław, Ustrzyki Dolne and Lesko. On May 15 this year, the second stage of the competition began in Jarosław, covering 143.3 km. It was the most difficult, because it was accompanied by heavy rain and low temperatures. The cyclists rode picturesque routes in our region, including: Pełnytycze, Siennów, Łopuszka Wielka, Nienadowa, Brzuska, Korzeniec, Bircza, Aksmanice and Makowa. They climbed, among others, Gruszowa and Kalwaria Pacławska, and in Fredropol on the last day they fought in a special premium. It was won by the Italian Edoardo Zamperini.

During the second stage from the beginning of the competition the peloton was very active, the competitors attacked time and time again, but none of them were able to ride away - each newly formed group was caught up after a while. In the end, the Italians did best, taking the first two places. Ludovico Maria Mellano won, followed by his representative colleague Filippo Turconi. The last stage was again extremely exciting, and the victory at the Arłamów hotel was fought for by the Italian Edoardo Zamperini and the Pole Patryk Goszczurny, who crossed the finish line in that order. The Orlen Race of Nations 2025 was won by the Austrian Marco Schrettl ahead of the Italian duo Ludovico Maria Mellano - Filippo Turconi. Mateusz Gajdulewicz finished the entire race in a high, 6th place.