On August 5, 2026, the 2026 Tour de Pologne UCI WorldTour entered Stage 3. The riders faced a 193.5-kilometre route from Gorzów Wielkopolski to Zielona Góra, crossing the Lubuskie region before finishing in Zielona Góra.
In a fast-paced and action-packed battle featuring multiple breakaway attempts, Italian sprinter Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) once again proved unbeatable in the final sprint. He powered to victory ahead of Noah Hobbs and Alessandro Romele, claiming his third consecutive stage win of the race.
With this victory, Milan completed a remarkable hat-trick of stage victories at the start of the 83rd Tour de Pologne. He also strengthened his lead in the overall classification and continued to wear the yellow leader’s jersey.
A 193.5km Lubuskie Stage Filled with High-Speed Racing
Stage 3 marked an important part of the Tour de Pologne’s journey from northern to southern Poland. Starting in Gorzów Wielkopolski, the race headed south through the Lubuskie region before reaching the finish in Zielona Góra.
The official route covered 193.5 kilometres and featured a rolling profile rather than a completely flat parcours. Along the way, riders faced several intermediate sprint points, including Strzelce Krajeńskie, Świebodzin and Sulechów, as well as the PZU KOM climb at Przytok.
The final climb at Przytok, positioned around 12 kilometres before the finish, created additional opportunities for attackers. Riders needed to balance their efforts carefully between chasing breakaways and preparing for a potential bunch sprint finale.
Average Speed Exceeded 45km/h as Breakaway Battles Continued
The race started at an extremely high tempo, with the average speed exceeding 45km/h throughout the stage. Multiple attacks and regroupings shaped the early part of the race.
Polish rider Radosław Frątczak from the Polish National Team was active in the early breakaway attempts and collected valuable points at the intermediate sprint locations, further strengthening his lead in the LOTTO Most Active Rider classification.
As the race progressed, a six-rider breakaway eventually established itself. The group included:
Sjoerd Bax, Fabio Christen, Matteo Sobrero, Dries De Bondt, Enzo Paleni and Taco van der Hoorn.
The six riders worked together effectively on the rolling roads of Lubuskie, building a maximum advantage of around 1 minute and 40 seconds over the peloton.
Meanwhile, Dries De Bondt (Team Jayco AlUla) claimed points at the Przytok KOM climb, further consolidating his lead in the PZU Mountain Classification.
Peloton Increases Pressure, Breakaway Caught Four Kilometres Before the Finish
As the race entered the final 50 kilometres, sprint-oriented teams increased their pace at the front of the peloton, gradually reducing the gap to the escapees.
With 27 kilometres remaining, the breakaway still held around a one-minute advantage. However, the gap continued to fall rapidly in the closing kilometres.
Eventually, with approximately 4 kilometres remaining, the six-man breakaway was caught by the charging peloton.
The race returned to a traditional bunch sprint scenario, with teams such as Lidl-Trek and other sprint squads fighting for the best position ahead of the final kilometre.
Milan Once Again Dominates the Sprint and Takes Third Consecutive Victory
The final kilometres delivered another intense sprint battle.
After a fierce fight for position, Jonathan Milan launched his powerful finishing effort and once again proved too strong for his rivals.
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) claimed first place, followed by Noah Hobbs (EF Education-EasyPost) in second and Alessandro Romele (XDS Astana Team) in third.
The victory marked Milan’s third consecutive stage win at the 2026 Tour de Pologne.
From Koszalin in Stage 1, to Szczecin in Stage 2, and now Zielona Góra in Stage 3, Milan has dominated every sprint finish so far, establishing himself as the strongest sprinter of the opening part of the race.
For his rivals, finding a way to challenge Milan’s current dominance has become one of the biggest questions of the race.
Milan Continues to Hold Both the Yellow Jersey and Points Jersey
Following Stage 3, Milan maintained control of both the overall classification and the points competition.
The leading classifications after Stage 3 are:
ORLEN General Classification Leader (Yellow Jersey):
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Lang Team Points Classification Leader:
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
PZU Mountain Classification Leader:
Dries De Bondt (Team Jayco AlUla)
LOTTO Most Active Rider Classification Leader:
Radosław Frątczak (Polish National Team)
The victory further strengthened Milan’s position as the dominant rider of the opening three stages.
Polish Riders Show Strong Performances on Home Roads
Home riders also played an important role during Stage 3.
The best Polish rider of the day was Marceli Bogusławski, who finished 27th in the stage classification.
Meanwhile, Radosław Frątczak of the Polish National Team continued his aggressive racing style, collecting sprint points and maintaining his lead in the LOTTO Most Active Rider classification.
It is important to clarify that Filip Gruszczyński, who rides for MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort, participated in this year’s Tour de Pologne as a member of the Polish National Team, not as a representative of MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort.
Therefore, his results in this race should not be considered as MBH team results.
Stage 4 Brings the First Real Mountain Challenge
After Stage 3, the Tour de Pologne enters a new phase.
Stage 4 on August 6 will start in Żagań and finish in Karpacz, covering approximately 175.5 kilometres. Compared with the opening sprint stages, the fourth stage introduces more demanding terrain and marks the beginning of the battle among general classification contenders.
The 2026 Tour de Pologne follows a north-to-south route across Poland, with key mountain stages and a final individual time trial at the Wieliczka Salt Mine. The race will gradually move away from sprint-focused battles and into decisive GC competition.
While the opening three stages allowed sprinters to shine, the real fight for the yellow jersey is expected to begin from the mountain stages.
Three Wins Down, The Real Tour de Pologne Battle Begins
Jonathan Milan has made a perfect start to the 2026 Tour de Pologne, winning all three opening stages and demonstrating exceptional speed and consistency in bunch sprint finishes.
However, as the race heads into the mountains, the dynamics will change completely.
For Milan, the challenge will be protecting his overall lead on tougher terrain. For GC contenders, Stage 4 represents the first major opportunity to attack and reshape the standings.
