Report: Tomasz Marczyński joins CCC Polsat Polkowice

autor: Paweł Gadzała :: 17 lutego 2014, 12:45@8aldwin

29-year-old returns to Polish team

The oddysey of Tomasz Marczyński has finally come to an end. After over three months of seeking a new team, Polish climber reached an agreement with ProContinental outfit CCC Polsat Polkowice and signed a three-year contract, securing his future and reinforcing Poland’s only second division squad.

29-year-old spent last two seasons with Vacansoleil-DCM, marking his performances in ProTour ranks with 13th place in Vuelta a Espana 2012 and showing promising climbing skills with two consecutive wins in mountain classification of Tour de Pologne.

Showing that he is capable of performing well in three-week races, Marczyński hoped to take the next step and lead the team again in 2013 or at least try his luck during 100th edition of Tour de France. His plans collapsed, as early season started with health problems – ambitious rider had to undergo a surgery to remove cyst. That forced him to stop racing for nearly three months and contributed to lack of results – a rider’s nightmare scenario as team’s sponsor decided to withdraw from the sport.

While most of his teammates managed to secure their future, the fate of Polish rider remained unclear for the rest of the year. In January 2014, it was initially rumoured that Marczyński joined brand-new Polish team ActiveJet but both rider and the team denied having reached an agreement.

Marczyński raced in orange CCC Polsat Polkowice jersey for two years – back in 2010 and 2011 – winning two national champion titles – both in time trial and road race. He is now the last rider to join the team. The line-up for 2014 will consist of 19 riders, with Maciej Paterski and Branislau Samoilau reinforcing the squad and Italian veteran Davide Rebellin extending his contract for one more year.

Many opportunities

Polish team has also presented full racing calendar for the first part of the year, securing so far three wild cards for WorldTour races, as well as a lot of invitations for important European events. Last week Volta a Catalunya organizers granted the team a wild card and team DS Piotr Wadecki revealed that in June his riders will face ProTour teams on demanding roads of Switzerland, participating in Tour de Suisse. The team is almost certain to receive a ticket for Tour de Pologne, as well.

Early season schedule gives the team a chance to present its potential – Vuelta a Andalucia, Giro del Trentino, Tour of Turkey and Tour of Norway are among the most important positions in the calendar, with one-day races such as Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kurne or Brabantse Pijl complementing the schedule.

Calendar:

13-16.02.2014 Tour Méditerranéen (2.1) 19-23.02.2014 Vuelta a Andalucia (2.1) 22-23.02.2014 Tour du Haut Var-matin (2.1) 01.03.2014 Vuelta a Murcia (1.1) 01.03.2014 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (1.HC) 02.03.2014 Clasica de Almeria (1.HC) 02.03.2014 Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne (1.1) 05.03.2014 Le Samyn (1.1) 15.03.2014 Ronde Van Drenthe (1.1) 16.03.2014 Dwars door Drenthe (1.1) 19.03.2014 Nokere Koerse (1.1) 20.03.2014 GP Nobili Rubinetterie (1.1) 21.03.2014 Handzame Classic (1.1) 23.03.2014 Cholet - Pays de Loire (1.1) 24-30.03.2014 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (2.UWT) 04.04.2014 Route Adélie de Vitré (1.1) 05.04.2014 Volta Limburg Classic (1.1) 16.04.2014 De Brabantse Pijl - La Flèche Brabançonne (1.HC) 21.04.2014 Rund um Köln (1.1) 22-25.04.2014 Giro del Trentino (2.HC) 27.04-04.05.2014 Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey (2.HC) 01.05.2014 Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt (1.HC) 07-11.05 2014 Tour de Azerbaidjan (2.1) 09-11.05.2014 Szlakiem Grodów Piastowskich (2.1) 18.05.2014 Garmin Velothon Berlin (1.1) 21-25.05.2014 Tour of Norway (2.HC) 12-14.06.2014 Tour of Malopolska (2.2) 14-22.06.2014 Tour de Suisse (2.UWT) 18-22.06.2014 Ster ZLM Toer (2.1) 21-22.06.2014 Memoriał im. J. Grundmanna J. Wizowskiego (2.2) 26.06.2014 Polish National Championships - ITT 29.06.2014 Polish National Championships - RR 02-05.07.2014 Race of Solidarity and Olympics (2.1) 06-19.07.2014 Tour of Qinghai Lake (2.HC) 17-20.07.2014 Sibiu Cycling Tour (2.1) 29.07-02.08.2014 Dookoła Mazowsza (2.2) 03-09.08.2014 Tour de Pologne (2.UWT)