After a long 218-kilometer stage, the race was decided in the final part of the day. The five-rider breakaway was caught heading into the finale, after which the GC contenders and climbers battled it out on the steep finishing climb.

On the final ascent to Kocierz Resort, with 1.5 kilometers at an average gradient of 11.5%, the strongest riders came to the front. Christen proved to be the strongest and secured the victory. Louis Barré rode a strong finale and finished third, but according to sports director Robert Wagner, there was room for more.

“Everything went almost exactly as we had discussed beforehand. We had a good day as a team. It is just a shame that Louis couldn’t win. He went into the final climb a little too far back, but then he rode an incredibly strong climb. He finished third in the end, but there was more there, and that is disappointing.”

Bart Lemmen and Wilco Kelderman finished 11th and 12th respectively. Thanks to his strong performance, Lemmen retains the leader’s jersey and heads into the final weekend of the Tour de Pologne as the race leader.

“The sixth stage will be a tough one. It’s not a long stage, but the profile makes it a very difficult circuit. We have multiple cards to play, and that’s how we’ll approach the finale,” Wagner said.

With Lemmen wearing the leader’s jersey, Team Visma | Lease a Bike enters the final weekend with confidence. The team has multiple options for the general classification and will do everything possible to defend its strong position. After the challenging final road stage, a time trial awaits on Sunday, where the final standings of the Tour de Pologne will be decided.