Poland has successfully defended its World Championship title in the Team Relay event, which was organized as an official UCI World Championship for the second time. The race, which saw each team member complete three laps of 1.9 km, was marked by dramatic position changes and an uncertain outcome until the final moments.
Teams were free to choose their order of departure, a strategic decision that influenced these position switches.
Belgium initially took the lead during the first leg. However, by the time of the first relay, a tight group formed, allowing France to seize the front position. The race remained tight into the third relay, as Slovenia, Poland, and three Australian teams converged, making the final victory unpredictable.
Poland’s strategy of saving their strongest rider for the final relay paid off. The rider launched a winning move, crossing the line first. A close sprint finish unfolded behind them for the remaining podium spots: three Australian teams finished just four seconds behind Poland, with Australia 4 claiming silver and Australia 1 taking bronze. Slovenia, who had been a strong contender going for silver with two laps to go, finished fifth. The top five teams all finished within a 10-second window.
Despite having a different composition this year—featuring a new female rider and a younger male rider—the winning team renewed their world title. Poland’s successful strategy was to start with their oldest male rider, followed by the female, a male over 40, and finishing with the crucial younger male who also made the difference last year.
The winning quartet of Alina Mylka, Wojciech Szczepanik, Jakub Rucinski, and Piotr Belinski achieved an impressive average speed of 45.05 km/h over the 1.9 km laps, which included a difficult incline near the finish line.
The final podium was:
- Gold: Poland 1 (Alina Mylka, Wojciech Szczepanik, Jakub Rucinski, Piotr Belinski)
- Silver: Australia 4 (Jenny Pettenson, Matty Arthur, Jon Lieghton, Tynan Shanon)
- Bronze: Australia 1 (Brendon Bauer, Salsie Pieterse, Alan Nelson, Ryan Thomas)
For the full result check https://www.multisportaustralia.com.au/races/uci-gran-fondo-world-championships-team-relay-2025/events/3/custom?category=30&secondary_category=&gender=&country_representing=
