Just like the previous days, Team LottoNL-Jumbo was also active in the fifth stage of the Tour de Pologne. The Dutch WorldTour-team had a rider in the breakaway again, this time in the person of Antwan Tolhoek. However, a small peloton caught the escapees and Danny van Poppel took the stage win in the sprint. Enrico Battaglin finished fifth. Bert-Jan Lindeman remains the leader in the most active rider classification.

After the start it went straight uphill, but that didn’t bother Antwan Tolhoek. “Many attackers couldn’t keep up the pace, so we took an advantage with a strong group of riders”, the 23-year-old rider said afterwards. “Of course it’s good to be in front with riders like Tejay Van Garderen, Maxime Monfort and Moreno Moser, but it also was a disadvantage.”

The escapees didn’t get much space. Nevertheless, they stayed up front for a long time. “We worked together well and I felt strong. It’s a pity that Schachmann crashed in the final; it was crucial for the outcome of the race. Moreover, I almost crashed as well. Fortunately, I managed to stay on the bike and I’m feeling better by the day. I took some points for the KOM-classification which gives me hope for the coming days.”

Sports director Grischa Niermann is happy with his riders’ performances. “I’m proud”, he stated. “Antwan Tolhoek was in the breakaway and was very strong. We hoped that the escapees stayed up front, but it didn’t happen unfortunately. In a dangerous sprint Battaglin finished fifth. Koen Bouwman was also positioned well, but he crashed. Despite that, he seems okay. So, we can’t complain at all.”