Sixth place claimed by Rafał Majka in the Giro d’Italia general classification, even though respectful, was regarded as a slight disappointment by the rider himself as well as in his home country. However, there was no need to wait too long for a breakthrough performance of the 24-year old Tinkoff-Saxo climber and stage successes at the 101st edition of the Tour de France visibly changed a mentality of the young Pole, fully releasing his already established potential.

It came as no surprise that Tinkoff-Saxo manager, Bjarne Riis, quickly offered Majka an extension of a contract with the Russian squad following his victory in the Tour de France mountain classification. No one could expect, however, that slightly fatigued 24-year old rider would pay back for such trust so quickly, stepping up to another level by winning another two stages and the overall classification of the Tour de Pologne on a route which didn’t suit his characteristics at all.

“The way Rafal performed during the Tour coming out of a hard Giro shows that it’s realistic to aim for the podiums in the Grand Tours," Riis said in a statement after contract extension has been announced. "He is still young and he can still improve and become even better but he’ll be a key rider for us.”

In such circumstances, Tinkoff-Saxo members and former Polish cyclists were full of praise for Majka’s latest achievements and forecasted him a bright future as a grand tour contender.

“He is definitely made for stage races and notably the Grand Tours," his directeur sportif Bruno Cenghialta told Cyclingnews. “This option has been pretty clear to me since Rafal raced Paris-Nice this year [he went 31st overall]. Climbing will remain his big asset and, as he is only 24, he has time to improve his time trialing.

“I don't know what his limits are," said Tristan Hoffman, the other sports director of Tinkoff-Saxo at the Tour of Poland. “The Tour of Poland is a big steep in his career because he showed he can cope with pressure and beat some big riders.”

“Majka has got skills which can help him to win the Giro, the Vuelta and the Tour de France as well," said Michał Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), who didn't fight on the Tour of Poland this year but, in a spirit of fair play, attended to the last stage.

Czeslaw Lang, the Tour of Poland's general director, also believes Majka can be “the first Polish rider to win the Tour de France one day.” A former professional in the 1980s, Lang added, “That's possible because Majka is 24, still young and in the making, and he is improving very gradually. In the time trial, he is not as strong as [Brad] Wiggins and [Fabian] Cancellara but is able to fight against the climbers. In terms of climbing, he showed he can win a very, very difficult stage. And he has a fighting spirit. He is starving with victories.”

“With his series of good results in the Giro, in the Tour and in the Tour of Poland, Majka is making a mentality of champion," says the Tour of Poland's race director Lech Piasecki. “So I think that he's able to win the Tour or the Giro.”

Even though latest victories significantly boosted Majka’s confidence and the Tinkoff-Saxo rider has never hidden his ambitions to claim an overall victory in Polish stage race, he was reluctant to reveal his goals for an upcoming season.

“I am still young and I still have to learn a lot," he said after he podium ceremony. “But it's clear I will target new goals next year.”

In a statement released last Sunday to announce his contract's extension, Majka explained his “ambition is to aim for the overall win in the Grand Tours in the future.”