At the top of a three-kilometre hill in Karpacz, a first battle took place on Tuesday between the Tour de Pologne’s top punchers, and Rudy Molard was right up there. The experienced Frenchman indeed secured a very solid sixth place, four seconds behind winner Paul Lapeira, while his young teammate Thibaud Gruel also managed to crack the top 20 (18th).
Around Karpacz, over just 150 kilometres, the Tour of Poland peloton was set to face the first climbs of the 2025 edition this Tuesday. Above all, an uphill finish, after a three-kilometre climb averaging 7%, served as a real test for the GC competitors, while also offering some punchers the opportunity to go for victory. Before that, a four-rider breakaway went on the attack from the start and got a lead of up to four minutes in a scenario just as clear as the previous day. However, on the final circuit, Max Walker got rid of his breakaway companions to make his attempt last a bit longer. The British rider managed to tackle the foothills of the final climb with a small lead, but the fight for position within the peloton meant his advantage was drastically reduced. For Groupama-FDJ, Enzo Paleni got in the front to protect and reposition Thibaud Gruel. “The guys went to recon the climb this morning, since we were staying nearby,” said Jussi Veikkanen. “On paper, it seemed doable for Thibaud, but the goal was also to keep Rudy close to the best for the overall standings.”
“It gives me confidence”, Rudy Molard
On the first part of the Karpacz climb, the peloton gradually thinned out, and the sole survivor of the early breakaway was caught about five kilometres from the finish, shortly before entering the toughest section (3.1 km at 6.7%). Enzo Paleni entered it in second place within the pack, which broke apart on the steepest slopes, and even took a short pull before the final fight fired up in the final kilometre. Part of a small group of around thirty riders, Rudy Molard and Thibaud Gruel then fought hard to the finish line, and the oldest of them was able to get in the mix in front before claiming sixth place on the day, after a tough effort. “In racing pace, the last ramp eventually suited more Rudy than Thibaud, who got a bit stuck in at the very end,” commented Jussi. “You couldn’t hide in a finish like this,” added Rudy. “I’m very happy to take sixth in the WorldTour, on a hard finish like today. It was nice to be back fighting with the best; it’s been a while since I’ve done that. I’ve had good feelings since the French championship, I worked hard in July to prepare for the second half of the season, I was very motivated, and I see that it’s paying off today. It gives me confidence for the stages to come.”Wednesday’s finish won’t be located at the top of a hill, but countless climbs will feature on the course. “With Saturday’s stage, it’s the biggest day for the punchers/climbers,” concluded Jussi. “We don’t know these roads very well, but there’s 3,500 metres of elevation gain, so it’s going to be very hard. We will need to support Rudy as well as possible because the overall will be partly decided tomorrow. He’s gained confidence today. That’s a good sign, and the other six are doing well too”. “We have a good group here and I think we can do great things in the days to come,” Rudy added.
