Rafał Majka (Polish pronunciation: ; born 12 September 1989) is a Polish professional

road bicycle racer Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common ...

, who currently rides for

UCI WorldTeam A UCI WorldTeam (2015–present), previously UCI ProTeam (2005–2014), is the term used by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to name a cycling team of the highest category in professional road cycling, the UCI World Tour or UCI ProTour ...

. He is known as a strong climber, and rose to prominence at the 2013 Giro d'Italia, where he finished 7th overall, and 6th one year later. Other major achievements are three mountainous stage wins in the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consist ...

as well as the Mountains classification in the

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

and 2016 edition, two stages and the overall victory at the

2014 Tour de Pologne The 2014 Tour de Pologne was the 71st running of the Tour de Pologne cycling stage race. It started on 3 August in Gdańsk and ended on 9 August in Kraków, after seven stages. It was the twentieth race of the 2014 UCI World Tour season. Partici ...

. He achieved his only Grand Tour podium finish at the 2015 Vuelta a España, where he finished third. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, he won a bronze medal for

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

in the

road race Road racing, road race of road racer may refer to: * Road racing in motorsport * Road running on foot * Road bicycle racing * ''Road Race'', initial name of 1976 arcade game ''Fonz'' (video game) * Roadracers (1994 film) * Roadracers (1959 fi ...

Career

2013

In 2013, he competed in the Giro d'Italia for the first time, where he had a long battle with

Carlos Betancur Carlos Alberto Betancur Gómez (born 13 October 1989) is a Colombian road racing cyclist, who most recently rode for Colombian amateur team . Career In 2010 he won the Girobio stage race; the amateur version of the Giro d'Italia; and in 2011 ...

over the lead in the young rider classification, which eventually fell to Betancur in the penultimate stage. In the general classification, he ended up seventh, eight minutes behind winner

Vincenzo Nibali ), The Nibbler , birth_date = , birth_place = Messina, Sicily, Italy , height = , weight = , currentteam = , discipline = Road , role = Rider , ridertype = Climber , proyears1 = 2005 , proteam1 = , proyears2 = 2006–2012 , protea ...

2014

A year later, he improved on his Giro d'Italia result from 2013 by finishing sixth overall. Majka was a last-minute inclusion in 's

2014 Tour de France The 2014 Tour de France was the 101st edition of the race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The race included 21 stages, starting in Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom, on 5 July and finishing on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on 27 July. The race a ...

squad, after Roman Kreuziger was temporarily suspended from racing due to irregular biological passport values. On Stage 14, he earned his first professional victory after going solo on the final climb to Risoul. Four days later he claimed another victory on Stage 17, soloing to the mountaintop finish atop Pla d'Adet. These successes, as well as some other strong performances in mountain stages, earned Majka the polka dot jersey as winner of the

mountains classification The King of the Mountains (KoM) is an award given to the best climbing specialist in a men's cycling road race; in women's cycle racing, Queen of the Mountains (QoM) is used. While the title may be given to the rider who achieves the highest p ...

, becoming the first Polish rider to win a jersey in the Tour de France. A couple of weeks after the Tour de France he won stages five and six of the

as well as the general classification. Majka was the first Polish rider to win the Tour de Pologne since it became part of the UCI World Tour.

2015

In contrast to the previous two years, Majka did not ride the Giro d'Italia in 2015 where

Alberto Contador Alberto Contador Velasco (; born 6 December 1982) is a Spanish former Road bicycle racing, professional cyclist. He is one of the most successful riders of his era, winning the Tour de France twice (2007 Tour de France, 2007, 2009 Tour de France ...

made the first step in trying to do a Giro–Tour double but started in the

. He achieved top ten finishes at the Tour of Oman, the

Tour de Romandie The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. I ...

and the Tour de Suisse in preparation for the Tour. Majka won the 11th stage of the Tour de France to

Cauterets Cauterets (; in Occitan ''Cautarés'', in Catalan ''Cautarés'', in Aragonese ''Cautarès'') is a spa town, a ski resort and a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department and the region of Occitanie in south-western France. Geography Cauter ...

from a breakaway to take his third Tour stage victory. Majka then prepared to race his season target, the

Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; en, Tour of Spain) is an annual multi-stage bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, the ...

, attempting to gain a top 5 or podium finish in the general classification. He performed well throughout the entire race, being able to stay at the top of the general classification with

Nairo Quintana Nairo Alexánder Quintana Rojas, ODB, (born 4 February 1990) is a Colombian racing cyclist, who rides for UCI ProSeries, UCI ProTeam . Nicknamed "Nairoman" and "El Cóndor de los Andes", Quintana is a specialist climber, known for his ability ...

and

Fabio Aru , birth_date = , birth_place = San Gavino Monreale, Sardinia, Italy , height = , weight = , currentteam = Retired , discipline = Road , role = Rider , ridertype = Climber , amateuryears1 = 2009–2012 , amateurteam1 = Palazzago , ...

. On the penultimate stage, stage 20, Majka managed to advance himself from fourth place to third place, finishing the Vuelta in third, achieving his goal of being on the podium of a Grand Tour.

2016

At the Giro d'Italia, Majka raced as the leader of the team and finished fifth overall, four minutes behind winner

, his best result in that race. Following the Giro, Majka won the

Polish National Road Race Championships The Polish National Road Race Championships are held annually to decide the Polish cycling champions in the road race discipline, across various categories. Men Amateur Elite Under 23 Women Senior References External linkscycl ...

for the first time in his career, breaking away at the front over the last climb and holding his advantage to the finish line. During the

, team leader Contador dropped out, leaving Majka as one of his team's chances for success. Through multiple breakaways, he was able to repeat his 2014 accomplishment and win the

, albeit falling short of a stage win. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Majka finished third in the individual road race to win the bronze medal. He was part of a late breakaway group also containing Nibali and

Sergio Henao Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (born 10 December 1987) is a Colombian former racing cyclist, who competed professionally from 2012 to 2021 for , and . He retired after the 2021 season when folded. Early life Henao was born in Rionegro in 1987, t ...

. On the final descent, both Nibali and Henao crashed, leaving Majka alone in front, unable to preserve his advantage over the chase group to the finish. He was caught by eventual winner

Greg Van Avermaet Greg Van Avermaet (born 17 May 1985) is a Belgian professional cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Considered one of the most versatile riders of modern cycling, Van Avermaet is a specialist of the classic cycle races, but has also ...

and

Jakob Fuglsang Jakob Diemer Fuglsang (born 22 March 1985) is a Danish professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Before turning professional for , he was a mountain biker racing for Team Cannondale–Vredestein, winning the Under ...

within two kilometres of the finish line and did not participate in the final sprint, settling for third. Majka's medal was the first for Poland at the Rio Olympics, and the first medal won by a Polish cyclist in an individual event since Czesław Lang's silver at the

1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1980, Letniye Olimpiyskiye igry 1980), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad (russian: Игры XXII Олимпиады, Igry XXII Olimpiady) and commo ...

. Subsequently, in August 2016 announced that Majka had agreed an initial two-year deal with the team from 2017, following Tinkoff teammate

Peter Sagan Peter Sagan (; born 26 January 1990) is a Slovakia, Slovak professional road bicycle racer who currently rides for UCI ProSeries, UCI ProTeam . Sagan had a successful junior cyclo-cross and mountain bike racing career, winning the junior cross-c ...

to the squad with a role as a team leader in Grand Tours and other stage races.

2017

In 2017 his most important results included a stage win and 2nd place overall in the Tour of California. He won the general and mountains classifications at the

Tour of Slovenia Tour of Slovenia is a stage race cycling race held in Slovenia. Between 2005 and 2018, it was organised as a 2.1 race on the UCI Europe Tour. The 2019 edition was classified as a 2.HC race. It became part of the UCI ProSeries in 2020. Winners ...

, as well as winning the third stage. He also placed 2nd in the Tour de Pologne and won the award for the highest placed Polish rider. Late in the season Majka earned his first career stage win at the

when he won stage 14 – a high mountain stage – by holding off general classification favourites Miguel Ángel López,

and

Chris Froome Christopher Clive Froome ɹɪs fɹuːm (born 20 May 1985) is a Kenyan/British Road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He has won seven Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours: four editions of the Tour de ...

by about thirty seconds.

2022

Majka was selected for the 2022 Tour de France. He did not take the start of the 17th stage due to a laceration of his muscle, caused by his chain snapping the previous stage.

Personal life

On 18 October 2014 he married Magdalena Kowal in a private ceremony in Wiśniowa.''Rafał Majka wziął ślub ''
- se.pl - 18-02-20178 In February 2017 their first child, a daughter was born.

Major results

;2008 : 1st Trofeo Enzo Sacchi : 3rd GP Città di Monsummano ;2009 : 1st Firenze–Viareggio : 3rd Bologna–Raticosa : 8th

GP Capodarco The GP Capodarco is a European bicycle race held in Capodarco, a city ward of Fermo, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.2 The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world's governing body in the sport of bicycle racing ...

;2010 : 2nd GP Chianti Colline d'Elsa : 3rd Overall Giro delle Pesche Nettarine : 3rd Bologna–Raticosa : 3rd Trofeo Città di Lastra a Signa : 9th

Gran Premio Palio del Recioto The Gran Premio Palio del Recioto is a professional one day cycling race held annually in Italy. It is part of UCI Europe Tour in category 1.2U. Winners References Cycle races in Italy UCI Europe Tour races Recurring sporting events esta ...

: 9th Firenze–Viareggio : 10th Overall

Carpathian Couriers Race The Carpathian Couriers Race is a professional cycling race held annually in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. It is part of the UCI Europe Tour in category 2.2U, meaning it is reserved for under-23 riders. The race was known ...

::1st Stage 1 : 10th

Trofeo Matteotti Trofeo Matteotti is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in Pescara Pescara (; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese, Pescàrë; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Pescarese, Piscàrë) is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, ...

;2012 : 3rd Japan Cup : 7th Overall Tour of Beijing ::1st Jersey white

Young rider classification ;2013 : 2nd Milano–Torino : 3rd

Giro di Lombardia The Giro di Lombardia ( en, Tour of Lombardy), officially ''Il Lombardia'', is a cycling race in Lombardy, Italy. It is traditionally the last of the five 'Monuments' of the season, considered to be one of the most prestigious one-day events in ...

: 4th Overall Tour de Pologne ::1st Jersey white

Points classification : 7th Overall Giro d'Italia ::Held Jersey white

after Stages 7, 10–14, 18–19 ;2014 : 1st Jersey yellow

Overall Tour de Pologne ::1st Stages 5 & 6 :

::1st

Mountains classification The King of the Mountains (KoM) is an award given to the best climbing specialist in a men's cycling road race; in women's cycle racing, Queen of the Mountains (QoM) is used. While the title may be given to the rider who achieves the highest p ...

::1st Stages 14 & 17 : 4th Overall USA Pro Cycling Challenge : 4th Overall Critérium International ::1st Jersey white

Young rider classification : 6th Overall Giro d'Italia ::Held Jersey white

after Stages 8–15 ;2015 : 1st Stage 11

: 2nd Milano–Torino : 3rd Overall

: 4th Overall Tour of Oman : 7th Overall

: 10th Overall Tour de Suisse ;2016 : 1st MaillotPolonia

Road race Road racing, road race of road racer may refer to: * Road racing in motorsport * Road running on foot * Road bicycle racing * ''Road Race'', initial name of 1976 arcade game ''Fonz'' (video game) * Roadracers (1994 film) * Roadracers (1959 fi ...

, National Road Championships :

::1st

Combativity award Stage 15 : 3rd Bronze medal olympic

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...

: 5th Overall Vuelta a Andalucía : 5th Overall Giro d'Italia : 7th Overall Tour de San Luis ;2017 : 1st Jersey green 2

Overall

::1st

Mountains classification ::1st Stage 3 : 1st Stage 14

: 2nd Overall Tour of California ::1st Stage 2 : 2nd Overall Tour de Pologne ::1st Jersey red

Polish rider classification : 6th Overall Abu Dhabi Tour : 7th Trofeo Pollenca-Port de Andratx : 10th

Liège–Bastogne–Liège Liège–Bastogne–Liège, also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five ''Monuments'' of the European professional ...

;2018 : 5th Overall Abu Dhabi Tour : 5th Overall Vuelta a San Juan : 6th Overall Tour of California : 6th Overall

: 7th

Combativity award Stage 15

;2019 : 6th Overall Giro d'Italia : 6th Overall

: 6th Overall Tour of the Alps : 7th Overall

Volta a Catalunya The Volta a Catalunya (; en, Tour of Catalonia, es, Vuelta a Cataluña, link=no) is a road bicycle race held annually in Catalonia, Spain. It is one of three World Tour stage races in Spain, together with the Vuelta a España and the Tour of t ...

: 9th Overall Tour de Pologne ::1st Jersey red

Polish rider classification : 10th Trofeo Campos, Porreres, Felanitx, Ses Salines ;2020 : 3rd Overall

Tirreno–Adriatico Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of the season, it is considered to be an important pre ...

: 4th Overall Tour de Pologne ::1st Jersey red

Polish rider classification : 5th Overall UAE Tour ;2021 :

::1st Stage 15 :: Jersey yellow number

Combativity award Stage 15 : 4th Overall

;2022 : 2nd Overall

::1st

Mountains classification ::1st Stages 1 & 4 : 7th Overall UAE Tour

General classification results timeline

Monuments results timeline

References

External links

* * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Majka, Rafal 1989 births Living people Polish male cyclists People from Myślenice County Polish Tour de France stage winners Polish Vuelta a España stage winners 2014 Tour de France stage winners Sportspeople from Lesser Poland Voivodeship Cyclists at the 2016 Summer Olympics Olympic cyclists of Poland Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics Olympic bronze medalists for Poland Olympic medalists in cycling Cyclists at the 2020 Summer Olympics