After pulling out of the Tour de France on stage 17, Michal Kwiatkowski will return to racing very quickly, at the Tour de Pologne on August 2.

It is his first participation since 2012 when he was second. He will arrive at the race in the Rainbow Jersey as Poland’s first World Champion.

“For me that race was also a discovery of my potential; I always remember it quite fondly,” said Kwiatkowski, who became Poland’s first professional world champion in Ponferrada last Autumn.

“It will be a special feeling to wear the rainbow and ride across my country. I’ve missed the warmth of the Polish fans, although I must say that I’m seeing more and more Polish fans at international races as well.”

He isn’t the only WorldTour Pole riding the event as well. His EWtixx-QuickStep teammate Michal Golas joins him along with Lampre-Merida’s Przemyslaw Niemiec and Tinkoff-Saxo duo Pawel Poljanski and Maciej Bodnar.

“For us the World Champion’s participation is a matter of great pride and satisfaction,” said race director Czeslaw Lang. “Kwiatkowski’s career took off right here, from the Tour de Pologne, when, as a boy he hit the pedals for the first time in the race for little kids which today is called the Nutella Mini Tour de Pologne.”