Monaco’s Victor Langellotti stunned the field in the Tour of Poland’s penultimate stage, seizing both the Stage 6 victory and the coveted leader’s jersey from France’s Paul Lapeira in a dramatic late surge.
With just 200 metres remaining in Bukowina, Langellotti overhauled American Brandon McNulty, who had looked certain to claim the win after launching his own attack two kilometres from the finish. The result catapults Langellotti into pole position ahead of Sunday’s decisive time trial, holding a slender seven-second lead over McNulty and 20 seconds over Antonio Tiberi.
The stage, featuring five first-category climbs, splintered the peloton early, with Lapeira initially dropped on the day’s penultimate ascent before fighting back on the descent. The battle for general classification bonuses remained fierce, with McNulty, Tiberi, and Jan Christen contesting an intermediate sprint just 20 kilometres from the line.
Lapeira made a bold move on the brutal Sciana Bukovina climb—2.5 kilometres at an average 8% gradient with ramps exceeding 20%—but his challenge faded as the reduced lead group barrelled towards the finish. McNulty and Tiberi’s late break looked decisive until Langellotti’s perfectly timed counterattack stole the show.
The victory makes Langellotti the first Monegasque rider to win a WorldTour stage, cementing his place in cycling history. With the top three separated by just 20 seconds, the Tour of Poland remains finely balanced heading into Sunday’s final test against the clock.
