Although a detailed route of the upcoming Tour the Pologne is yet to be finalized, the race main organizer  -Czesław Lang, presented its main highlights during the official closing ceremony of 70th  edition, held in the headquarters of Polish Television on 15th November. An 2014 edition of the Polish sole World Tour race should return to the Pomerania region in order to celebrate 25th anniversary of first free elections held in 1989 and Poland’s independence from Soviet Block, as well as pay its first visit to Slovakia with an attempt to persuade Peter Sagan to participate again in the event.

It is planned to be an entirely different race than its 2013 edition, which spectacularly kicked off last July with two mountain stages held in Trentino region. Next year Tour de Pologne will return to Gdańsk, Poland’s sixth biggest city, the capital of the Pomerania region and a home of the Solidarność movement, which led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Wałęsa significantly contributed to Poland’s separation from the Soviet Union. The port city, known for its historical Old Town built during Gdańsk’s most prosperous period as a free city and important point on European trading routes, will host the official start of the race.

“The route still needs to be made official, we have to work out some details and get some confirmations, but for the most part we have outlined an overall design for the 2014 Tour de Pologne,” Lang said.

“It will all start in Poland; after a few years’ absence we’ve decided to return to the north. The stage for the kickoff will most likely be Gdansk, a very important city for its historical, cultural and political background.”

Although the final route of Tour the Pologne is yet to be finalized, first four stages are said to be the flat ones favourable for sprinters. Riders should stay one more day in the western Poland to pay a visit to Toruń – a city of Pacyfik Cycling Club, where Polish rising stars of professional cycling were grown in the likes of Michał Kwiatkowski or Michał Gołaś.

Then cyclist will move to a more familiar surroundings of the southern and south-eastern regions of Poland. The latter two sprinter’s stages will traditionally finish in Rzeszów, where Thor Hushovd won in 2013, and Katowice, where his BMC teammate Taylor Phinney scored an impressive triumph.after his memorable escape during final kilometers.

First of the Tour de Pologne mountain stages should take a Poloton to picturesque Tatra Mountains, although instead of traditional finish in Zakopane – which too often resulted with just yet another bunch sprint, the Polish most renowned ski resort will host a start, while after heading south the stage should finish in Slovakia.Organizers do not hide, that Tour de Pologne’s first visit to Slavakia is an attempt to persuade Peter Sagan to participate again in the event he has won in 2011.

“It would be the first time this race touched down in that country,” Lang said of the proposed Slovakian excursion.

The second mountainous stage will take place on a well-known circuit around Bukowina Tatrzanska, where Sagan and Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp) dueled in 2011, while the last day will again feature an individual time trial in Krakow, previously won by Sir Bradley Wiggins.

“It will be around 30 kilometres in length, like the one we had this year where the contenders battled it out for the yellow jersey until the last minute,” Lang said.