Filippo Baroncini was the one rider from UAE Team Emirates-XRG's 2025 Tour de Pologne line-up who was unable to witness team leader Brandon McNulty claim both the stage and the overall win in the Wieliczka time trial on Sunday, but the young Italian rider could not have been more present in spirit all the same.
Baroncini suffered multiple facial and vertebral fractures in a dramatic high-speed crash on stage 3 of the Tour de Pologne and is currently in an induced coma in Wroclaw hospital, although UAE team sources confirmed he will be flown later today [Sunday] back to Italy to continue his recovery nearer home.
Having conquered the yellow jersey on the very last day with a devastating time trial performance, McNulty had a lot to celebrate on Sunday. He simultaneously celebrated his first two victories of 2025, the first overall WorldTour stage race win of his career and became the first US rider ever to stand on the podium of the 97-year-old Tour de Pologne, let alone win it.
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Yet even before he talked to reporters, the American was briefly whisked away to make a video with his teammates for Baroncini, and as he said afterwards, the win was naturally doing to be dedicated to the Italian.
"For sure, we've been riding with him [in mind] all week and today it was really nice to get a win for him," McNulty said later. "We've all been thinking of him a lot since he left."
As for the time trial victory itself, taken on a very similar course to where he had captured both the stage and the opening lead of the Vuelta a España last year, McNulty said he had tried not too hard to think about how much was at stake during the race itself.
The American's first big step towards success had come with losing the bare minimum in the crucial first steep uphill finish in Karpacz on stage 2, just four seconds to winner Paul Lapeira (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and then after that gaining a big advantage on his rivals bar Victor Langellotti (Ineos Grenadiers) on stage 6.
But while Langellotti was well out of the running on the final TT, losing 31 seconds in the 12.5-kilometre stage, McNulty clinched the fastest time at the midway check, by a massive 18 seconds on previous top time set by Matteo Sobrero (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). Then at the finish he was still 12 seconds ahead of closest pursuer, former U23 world TT champion Lorenzo Milesi (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).
"I just tried to not think about that too much, easy to get wrapped up in pressure, I went in like it was any TT and came out with what I wanted," McNulty, finally 29 seconds ahead of second-placed Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) said afterwards.
"They told me at the split I was ahead, but you can't really let off until the finish line so it didn't really matter. It was nice to know, but I didn't let in change anything."
As his first stage race victory at WorldTour level, McNulty said it was welcome given the first half of the year had not seen the 27-year-old take any wins, albeit with some good results, and his health had not been at 100%, either.
Taking wins in UAE is not necessarily as straightforward as it might be in other WorldTour squads, either, given the number of top achievers there are in the lineup. McNulty said that as a result, he made a point of looking for his own opportunities when he could at races like Pologne where he was able to lead, while he had no objections doing teamwork in other points in the year.
"That's how this team is, you have guys that are crazy talented all over that I'm happy to work for and then when my time comes, I try to take it. So it's nice to seize opportunities for sure.
"I'm always happy to help. It's obvious that these guys are better suited like Tadej [Pogačar] and Isaac [Del Toro, second in the Giro d'Italia] and it's a pleasure to work for them. You can see everybody has their opportunities, we have not only a lot of victories as a team but a lot of different riders. They manage it well, I think."
A Grand Tour GC bid?
Regarding his own potential in Grand Tours GCs, McNulty had a breakthrough moment this May when he claimed his first top ten placing overall in seven participations in that type of race, finishing ninth in the Giro d'Italia. The team are apparently still weighing up what McNulty might to in the future in three-week stage races after his performance, with McNulty seemingly very much in the evaluation phase as well.
"One Grand Tour I think like, no way, and then in the next there's some signs of hope, so I don't know. It's such a different ball game to a week-long race so I don't know. I feel like I'm getting better every year, though, and gaining in endurance too, so we'll see."
Meanwhile McNulty has taken another landmark victory, both for himself and for the USA in the Tour de Pologne - "a nice achievement" - he said.
He also wanted to pay tribute to teammate Rafal Majka, who completed his last-ever home race on Sunday to massive cheers from the crowds and repeat appearances on the winner's podium, as well as doing almost as many post-race interviews, if not more, as McNulty.
"I've been with him for six years and it's always been a pleasure," McNulty said, "he's one of the best teammates to have around on and off the bike. "We've all tried to convince him for one more year but I don't think he's going to take it, so we're going to miss him."
