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 consists ...

as well as the Mountains classification in the 2014 and 2016 edition, two stages and the overall victory at the 2014 Tour de Pologne. He achieved his only Grand Tour podium finish at the 2015 Vuelta a España, where he finished third. At the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

, he won a bronze medal for

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

in the road race.

Career

2013

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

young rider classification Young rider classification (french: classement général des jeunes) is a cycling jersey competition in multi-day stage race events, such as the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and many others, which awards the current leader by overall time for rid ...

, 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 squad, after

Roman Kreuziger Roman Kreuziger (; born 6 May 1986) is a Czech former professional road bicycle racer, who last rode for UCI ProTeam . His father, Roman Kreuziger Sr., was also a bicycle racer who won the Tour of Austria in 1991 and the Cyclocross Junior Wor ...

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 Risoul () is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. It is located in the French Alps between the towns of Briançon and Gap. Risoul is home to a ski resort that partners with the neighbouring town, Vars, to form the ...

. Four days later he claimed another victory on Stage 17, soloing to the mountaintop finish atop

Pla d'Adet Pla d'Adet or Saint-Lary 1700 is a ski resort in the French Pyrenees, in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées, and the region Midi-Pyrénées. The resort is situated above the village of Saint-Lary-Soulan, at an altitude of . The climb to the ski ...

. 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 A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a femal ...

, 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 2014 Tour de Pologne as well as the general classification. Majka was the first Polish rider to win the

Tour de Pologne The Tour de Pologne ( Polish: ''Wyścig Dookoła Polski'', English: ''Tour of Poland'', official abbreviation TdP,) is an annual, professional men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in Poland. It consists of seven or eight stages ...

since it became part of the

UCI World Tour The UCI WorldTour (2009–2010: ''UCI World Ranking'') is the premier men's elite road cycling tour, sitting above the UCI ProSeries and various regional UCI Continental Circuits. It refers to both the tour of 38 events and, until 2019, an annual ...

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 professional cyclist. He is one of the most successful riders of his era, winning the Tour de France twice ( 2007, 2009), the Giro d'Italia twice (2008, 2015), and the Vue ...

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 of Oman is an annual professional road bicycle racing stage race held in Oman since 2010 as part of the UCI Asia Tour. It was scheduled to become part of the new UCI ProSeries in 2020, but both the 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled ...

, 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 The Tour de Suisse ( en, Tour of Switzerland) is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France ...

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 Caute ...

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, Order of Boyacá, 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 ...

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 , am ...

. 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 Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. P ...

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, the ...

. 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 Unde ...

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 Czesław Lang (born 17 May 1955 in Kołczygłowy) is a Polish former road racing cyclist. He was a bronze medalist at the 1977 UCI Road World Championships in San Cristóbal and a silver medalist at the 1979 UCI Road World Championships in ...

'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 Slovak professional road bicycle racer who currently rides for UCI ProTeam . Sagan had a successful junior cyclo-cross and mountain bike racing career, winning the junior cross-country race at the 2008 ...

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 The Tour of California (officially sponsored as the Amgen Tour of California) was an annual professional road cycling stage race on the UCI World Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour that ran from 2006 to 2019. It was the only event on the ...

. 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 UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing Road bicycle racing is the cycle spor ...

, as well as winning the third stage. He also placed 2nd in the

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 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitio ...

;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 The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Unio ...

: 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 The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which w ...

::1st Stage 1 : 10th

Trofeo Matteotti Trofeo Matteotti is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in Pescara, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which ...

;2012 : 3rd

Japan Cup The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...

: 7th Overall

Tour of Beijing The Tour of Beijing was an annual professional stage bicycle road race held in Beijing, China. History Its first edition took place in October 2011, as the penultimate event in the 2011 UCI World Tour. The tour was a partnership between the UCI a ...

::1st

Young rider classification ;2013 : 2nd

Milano–Torino Milano–Torino is a semi classic European single day cycling race, between the northern Italian cities of Milan and Turin over a distance of 199 kilometres. The event was first run in 1876 making it the oldest classic race in the world. The ev ...

: 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

::1st

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

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

Overall

::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 A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a femal ...

::1st Stages 14 & 17 : 4th Overall

USA Pro Cycling Challenge The USA Pro Cycling Challenge, also known as USA Pro Challenge, was an annual multi-day professional road bicycle racing stage race that first took place in Colorado in 2011. Originally announced on August 4, 2010 by Colorado Governor Bill Ritt ...

: 4th Overall

Critérium International The Critérium International was a two-day bicycle stage race held in France every spring from 1932 until 2016, typically the last weekend of March. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in 1932. For many years ...

::1st

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

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

: 2nd

: 3rd Overall

: 4th Overall

: 7th Overall

: 10th Overall

;2016 : 1st MaillotPolonia

Road race, National Road Championships :

::1st

Combativity award The combativity award is a prize given in road bicycle racing to a stage's or the overall race's most aggressive rider. References {{cycling-stub Cycling jerseys ...

Stage 15 : 3rd Bronze medal olympic

Road race,

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 var ...

: 5th Overall

Vuelta a Andalucía The Vuelta a Andalucía (Tour of Andalusia) or Ruta del Sol (Route of the Sun) is a regional Spanish road bicycle race first held in 1925. Since 2005, it has been a 2.1 category race on the UCI Europe Tour. The race became a part of the new UCI ...

: 5th Overall Giro d'Italia : 7th Overall

Tour de San Luis The Tour de San Luis was a road cycling race that was held in San Luis Province, Argentina from 2007 to 2016. The race consisted of a competition over an individual time trial, and six stage race, stages. The competition carried a UCI rating of ...

;2017 : 1st Jersey green 2

Overall

::1st

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

: 2nd Overall

::1st Stage 2 : 2nd Overall

::1st

Polish rider classification : 6th Overall

Abu Dhabi Tour The Abu Dhabi Tour was a men's cycling stage race that took place in the United Arab Emirates, held annually between 2015 and 2018. In 2019 The Abu Dhabi Tour merged with the Dubai Tour to become the UAE Tour. History When inaugurated, it was p ...

: 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

: 5th Overall

Vuelta a San Juan The Vuelta a San Juan is a road cycling race held in Argentina. The race consists of only a men's competition over seven stages. From 2017 to 2019, the race had a 2.1 The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world's governing body in the sp ...

: 6th Overall

: 7th

Combativity award The combativity award is a prize given in road bicycle racing to a stage's or the overall race's most aggressive rider. References {{cycling-stub Cycling jerseys ...

Stage 15

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

: 6th Overall

Tour of the Alps The Tour of the Alps is an annual professional cycling stage race in Italy and Austria. First held in 1962, it was named Giro del Trentino ( en, Tour of Trentino) until 2016, and run over four stages in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region o ...

: 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 ...

: 9th Overall

::1st

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 prep ...

: 4th Overall

::1st

Polish rider classification : 5th Overall

UAE Tour The UAE Tour ( ar, جولة الإمارات) is a road cycling stage race in the United Arab Emirates. It was first held in 2019 as part of the UCI World Tour. It was created as a result of the merging of the Abu Dhabi Tour and the Dubai 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

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