Bartosz Huzarski finished his last tour, the "Course de Solidarnosc" in second place overall and went straight to the Tour de Pologne where he races as part of the Polish Nationalteam. We took the chance to talk briefly with him about his season and the tour in his home country.

You’ve had an impressive season of racing this year, Bartosz, with your most recent achievement being second place in the overall ranking in the Course de Solidarnosc. How do you feel the season has gone?

This season has been really good for me. I feel so much better than last year. Not only do I feel stronger but overall we have a much stronger team this season, as shown by the results we have achieved. 

 

You’ve done the Tour of Poland before. In general how do you find this tour? Have you studied the stages for this year’s tour and how do they compare to last year’s? 

This year’s Tour de Pologne is very difficult, most of the stages leading to tough mountainous terrain. At the beginning of the tour last year we had a few flat stages, whereas in the beginning this year we have to overcome the tough climbing stage of the Orlinek. 

 

You’ll be racing on familiar territory. Do you find it easier racing in your home country or do you feel under more pressure to win in Poland?

No, I don’t feel pressured by the fact that it’s the biggest Polish race. I feel an incredible joy that I can compete in this race. I’ve got great fans, probably the best in the whole Polish peloton. They are with me on my good days and on my bad days. Besides, you can see them on TV after the race.

 

How does racing for the National Team compare to racing for NetApp?

When racing with NetApp I know what I can expect: we have everything we need for racing and recovery after the race. There is a great atmosphere here, but due to the financial problems facing the Polish Cycling Federation, I can’t count on everything I need. Generally, this is a big difference. NetApp is a professional team which has successfully rode the Giro and that means something.

 

And finally: you placed 7^th in the Tour of Poland last year. What do you hope to achieve this year?

After the first stage, I already know that the general classification isn’t mine. However, having only one day of rest between Solidarności and this tour isn’t enough for such a tough race. But I’m looking ahead and I look forward to a good performance in one of the stages. 

 

Website "Tour de Pologne"