Rovanperä: the worst could still be to come Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen are in for a long night as they try to fine-tune notes for a final-day Polish push Words by He might lead a rally he wasn’t supposed to start but Kalle Rpvanperä has told DirtFish Sunday’s final day of Rally Poland will be the toughest yet for him and co-driver Jonne Halttunen The Finns jetted into Mikołajki at the last possible moment replacing Toyota team-mates Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais after the French pair were involved in a road accident Rovanperä dismissed talk of a possible win despite his preferable place on the road through Friday – but then moved into a 9.4-second lead on Saturday night A rushed recce had left him with inconsistent notes he couldn’t put full faith in The double world champion said: “Definitely the first pass like I expected: it’s quite tricky in the morning [This] morning I was pushing quite hard and trying my best Then on the afternoon you can start to enjoy the driving You can correct the notes and you know what’s coming will he be able to defend that lead for four stages and 36 miles against a charging former Poland winner in Hyundai rival Andreas Mikkelsen I also have a feeling that maybe tomorrow’s stages are the worst prepared for us “We made the notes for the longer stage (Gmina Mragowo) on Thursday after the shakedown in quite a big hurry we made the notes in a big rush – they are not so precise so we need to work with those what we have “We keep pushing of course and we try to get some points for the team Tags: , , , , 2024 DirtFish https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2024/06/qgcrS6KR-Kalle-Poland-780x520.jpg June 29 Sign up today and be the first to know about special offers Legal Clattering a bank led to tire damage that cost Andreas Mikkelsen a minute – and with it Words by Andreas Mikkelsen’s hopes of a first World Rally Championship win in almost eight years have been ended by a puncture on Sunday’s opening stage of Rally Poland But Mikkelsen clipped a bank midway through Sunday’s first test The flailing rubber then ripped most of the right-rear bodywork from his car and also impacted one of the radiators that cool the hybrid system Most of the damage to Mikkelsen's car appears cosmetic though he has holed one of the radiators that cool his car's hybrid system we tried to have a good pace but that’s the game,” said Mikkelsen at the finish line now it’s just getting the car to the finish While he finished the stage he also ended his rally ripping the right-rear wheel off his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 when he impacted the bale it tightens at the very end,” explained McErlean Ott Tänak put in a performance that wowed his rivals going fastest by 1.2s to lead the Sunday classification despite starting as first car on the road and undertaking road sweeping duties “I’m just amazed because I know what it is to open the road Rally leader Rovanperä was similarly complimentary: “You can imagine how good Ott was on the stage when he was first on the road Rovanperä’s lead overall is up to 17.4s over team-mate Elfyn Evans; the Toyota pair are second and third in the Sunday standings Thierry Neuville has taken fifth place overall away from Mārtiņš Sesks having fallen 0.1s short of usurping him before the the critical Saturday cut-off for points the day before; he is also fifth in the Sunday running behind Fourmaux Robert Virves has retaken second place in WRC2 from Oliver Solberg winning Sunday’s opening stage by 0.6s from class leader Sami Pajari TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team occupies first and third positions at Rally Poland with one day remaining with Kalle Rovanperä in pole position to claim an unlikely victory after winning six out of seven stages on Saturday with 124.1 competitive kilometres to be driven mainly on high-speed gravel roads north-east of Mikołajki After Rovanperä and team-mate Elfyn Evans both ended Friday within two seconds of the rally lead the differences would remain close between the top drivers Rovanperä belied the limited preparation he had following his late call-up for this event by winning the first two stages of the morning to move up into the lead he then also won the Mikołajki Arena super special to arrive in mid-day service with a narrow lead of 0.4s ahead of the ever-consistent Evans Rovanperä won all three tests that made up the repeat loop in the afternoon to finish the day leading by 9.4s over Andreas Mikkelsen (Hyundai) Evans would unfortunately suffer a tyre issue in the first stage of the afternoon loop that cost him several seconds and dropped him to third place with points awarded based on Saturday positions set to strongly outscore his championship rivals with further points on offer from Sunday TGR-WRT is on course to claim the most Saturday points towards the manufacturers’ championship Takamoto Katsuta was disadvantaged running second on the road during the morning and then first in the afternoon TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC 2024 Official Partners The annual event featured an extensive lineup of performers who entertained crowds at the local open-air theatre overlooking scenic Lake Czos and in other venues around the area Domestic performers included Polish country music heavyweights Lonstar an American Idol contestant from Algonquin the International Country Picnic and Folk Festival in Mrągowo is one of the oldest music festivals in Poland Co-hosting this year's concerts were Polish Radio music journalists Marcin Kusy and Paweł Sztompke up-and-coming country singer-songwriter Klaudia Magica won a Polish Radio competition for best road trip song with her "Dance Alone." Held annually in the heart of Poland’s picturesque lake district the Country Picnic festival offers with a variety of attractions to celebrate this otherwise quintessentially American genre of music as well as all things American the festival has hosted musicians from across Europe as well as the United States the eldest daughter of the iconic singer-songwriter Johnny Cash Other US performers have included George Hamilton IV International names for the event have also included Raymond Froggatt from Britain and Kelly's Revenge Bush Band from Australia Source: Polish Radio, mck.mragowo.pl a subsidiary of FedEx Corp (NYSE: FDX) and the world’s largest express transportation company enters its third season as Main Sponsor of the UEFA Europa League with a second game-changing delivery already under its belt Since becoming main sponsor of the competition in 2016 FedEx has collaborated with the UEFA Foundation for Children and global not-for-profit streetfootballworld on a program of community projects using football as a platform for social change Following a successful initiative in Madrid FedEx funded a second “Field in a Box™” – an artificial turf football pitch delivered in two shipping containers to the town of Mrągowo The local community took ownership of the pitch at an opening ceremony on 31 August 2017 “As Main Sponsor of the UEFA Europa League FedEx aims to use its involvement in professional football to connect with people on a personal level we saw the positive impact putting a playing field in a community can have It’s rewarding for FedEx to open a second pitch here in Mrągowo and feel the same optimism surrounding a project we know can open up new possibilities for people who live here,” said David Binks president of FedEx Express in Europe and CEO of TNT the UEFA Foundation for Children and streetfootballworld were joined at the official inauguration of the pitch by the Mayor of Mrągowo UEFA ambassador and retired Polish goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek FedEx team members celebrated the opening of the pitch by participating in a football3 training session and tournament with young local players – a methodology that turns the football field into an important arena in which to develop life skills such as dialogue “Football has a proven ability to bring people together and change lives We’re grateful that organisations like FedEx who are affiliated with football at a professional level extend their support to the football for good movement and recognise but the potential for projects like ‘Field in a Box™’ and football3 teaching methodologies to impact young people in communities like Mrągowo,” said Dr Local charity Młodzieżowe Stowarzyszenie Inicjatyw Sportowych (MSIS) will maintain the pitch in the community and ensure its sustainable use “The decision to build this football field in Mrągowo has already elevated the aspirations of people here The pitch will be greatly beneficial in terms of community development helping to integrate the people of Mrągowo with their neighbours and the municipality Our aim for this pitch – to become a football3 training facility—means the pitch will not just benefit young people who use it but also allow the teaching of football3 to spread beyond Mrągowo and have a broader impact in Poland,” said Arkadiusz Kamil Mierkowski The ‘Field in a Box™’ program is funded as part of FedEx Cares a broader pledge to invest $200 million USD in more than 200 communities by the year 2020 Plans to expand the program include additional pitches for communities on three continents—ensuring FedEx will continue to complement its professional football sponsorship with locally beneficial initiatives “We are delighted that FedEx approach to social responsibility aligns with the football for good movement As a global logistics business that is committed to giving back on a local level FedEx is naturally positioned to expand the ‘Field in a Box™’ program on to other continents Together we look forward to improving the lives of young people through football but in underserved communities globally,” said Pascal Torres (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers FedEx inspires its more than 400,000 team members to remain “absolutely the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world UEFA Foundation for Children Established in 2015 the UEFA Foundation for Children is a charitable organisation governed by Swiss law It defends the rights of underprivileged children by using the power of football to improve their lives and to help them develop their potential and find their place in the community The foundation currently invests in more than 60 projects in 50 countries worldwide More than 500,000 children have already benefited from the foundation’s work since its creation streetfootballworld is a leading non-profit in the field of football for good Football has a unique power to change the world for good We bridge the gap between community organisations that use football to change lives with supporters and donors from the world of football who believe in their potential to change the world Our global network unites 123 community organisations in 79 countries empowering more than 2 million disadvantaged young people every year [1] Subject to relevant terms and conditions 2024 Tanak dominates Super Sunday whilst Mikkelsen’s rally-winning hopes end on the final dayIn a heartbreaking end to a stellar performance Andreas Mikkelsen’s rally-winning hopes were punctured on the final day of Rally Poland the seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) season The gripping fight for the lead looked set to continue across Sunday’s four final stages totalling 63.06km of competitive distance: Gmina Mrągowo (SS16/18 Yet it was on the very first test of Gmina Mrągowo where Mikkelsen and co-driver Torstein Eriksen’s storming run came to an end As the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team crew sought to keep the rally leader under pressure a tap with a bank took the right-rear tyre off the rim and caused a delamination that saw second place slip from their grasp and a steady drive through the final three stages saw the Norwegians score the 15 points they had provisionally secured on Saturday Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja left nothing on the table on their Super Sunday mission; despite being the first of the WRC cars on the road the Estonians demonstrated incredible pace in their Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid to score two stage wins vaulting them to the top of Sunday’s standings Second place in the penultimate stage saw their advantage narrow slightly however their drive on the Power Stage – which confirmed a Hyundai Motorsport 1-2 finish – secured them the top spot and 11 points Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe were Hyundai Motorsport’s highest-placed crew in the final classification finishing a fine fourth after a difficult event Starting the day just a tenth of a second behind fifth place the Belgians moved up to fourth overall by the end of the morning loop after their team-mates’ misfortune was a final flourish on a challenging weekend for the crew Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team continues to spearhead the manufacturers’ standings by ten points with Neuville 15 points ahead in the drivers’ battle as the incredibly close fight now moves into the unknown with the next round Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#11 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid) We knew this event would be difficult for us There was no reason to push more than what we felt comfortable with considering we were first on the road on Friday and didn’t have great conditions on Saturday There was no real chance for us to work on the set-up so I just had to follow my gut and push hard for the Power Stage We were balancing the risks we could take and the speed we needed to go but in the end we take home some good points and look forward to what is to come.” Crew Notes: Andreas Mikkelsen/Torstein Eriksen (#9 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid) Mikkelsen said: “There are a lot of positives to take from this weekend I think we could have kept the pressure on Kalle and be fighting for the podium I felt we had a bit of bad luck as we had been using the banks tactically this rally to keep up the speed through the corners it was just about getting the car to the finish to secure the points for the team.” Crew Notes: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (#8 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid) Tänak said: “We did everything we could today but it is obviously a huge shame our weekend finished so early so we could not know where we could be I had an OK feeling in the car and felt fine our road position for the past two days has made it difficult to make a conclusion; we need to carry on and hopefully improve a bit in between now and Latvia and see how we go there Hyundai Motorsport President and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “It is difficult to summarise a weekend like this where the most positive takeaway was the amazing pace Ott and Martin have shown today as they fought to recover as many points as possible from Super Sunday His stage this morning could very much go down in the history books of rallying We cannot help but imagine what could have been if the opening stage of Friday had gone differently and we hope we can all bounce back for upcoming similar rallies Andreas was about to deliver exactly what we expect and need from our third car when a hard landing stopped his charge He managed to secure his points from yesterday in a small consolation from the weekend Thierry did the best he could from what was always going to be a challenging event and still leads the drivers’ standings; the whole team departs the event with renewed motivation to rebuild our advantage in the coming rallies The FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) is the undisputed pinnacle of the sport where the world’s best drivers and their co-drivers vie for glory Welcome to a behind-the-scenes tour of Hyundai Motorsport GmbH Here you will find a short overview of our main departments Hyundai Motorsport GmbH (HMSG) is responsible for Hyundai’s global motorsport activities (29.06.2024) After the first Sunday loop of the ORLEN 80th Rally Poland Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid) consolidated their lead in the overall classification There are just two stages left in the Polish WRC round – Gmina Mrągowo (20.8 km) and Mikołajki (10.73 km) The two-time world champions had a great morning They finished the opening stage in second place virtually doubling their lead in the overall classification They were also helped by the bad luck of their rivals Second-placed Norwegians Andreas Mikkelsen and Torstein Eriksen (Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid) got a flat tyre on the first run of the Gmina Mrągowo stage and dropped to fifth Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid +18.1s) and Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid Sami Pajari and Enni Malkonen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) are leading with a big margin but also massages and rehabilitation treatments from early morning to late afternoon Injured veterans met at the Training and Fitness Centre in Mrągowo where they exercised under the professional supervision of coaches All that to prepare for the games that are going to take place in Sydney About 500 competitors from 18 countries are going to meet in October at Invictus Games a charity established by the British Prince Harry They are going to compete for medals in 11 sport disciplines Polish injured servicemen will be joining the Games for the first time Our representatives also include those most severely injured Most competitors will try their luck in several disciplines representations of veterans from various countries take part in the Games which aim at showing the tremendous power of sport and determination and at inspiring other injured veteran soldiers to join the next edition of the Games,” reminds Col Leszek Stępień the Director of the International Mission Veteran Centre which organizes the trip of our representatives to Invictus Games the veterans were visited by a representative of the Invictus Games foundation He evaluated the preparations and helped to assign competitors to appropriate categories of disciplines 25 veterans took part in the training and fitness camp 15 of them form the basic representation team Coaches emphasized that progress was visible from day to day We came to watch their training for a couple of days “Today we were doing strength and endurance training The trainer is teaching us the technique of cycling – how to accelerate and slow down we also do exercises that strengthen leg muscles,” said Jakub Tynka who chose road cycling as one of his disciplines in Sydney He hopes that his 45 % of health damage (i an injured shoulder plexus and a weaker left arm) will not stop him from achieving a good result he plans to cover the distance of 2.5 km at top speed He is also going to take part in swimming and running (100 m and 4x100 m relay) Marcin Chłopeniuk showed up at the area for discus throw and shot put He is one of the most severely injured soldiers Due to the paralysis of the left side of the body he is going to compete in discus throw and shot put “I’ve already got the hang of the technique by now but the coach is stopping me,” he said in between throws But I have to watch him to make sure he doesn’t overstrain his good arm – we do 40 throws a day and that’s it,” explained the trainer The training at the swimming pool started at 10 a.m. but some of the competitors were there earlier and later covered the distance of 1.5-2 km they are stubborn,” said Zbigniew Sajkiewicz a trainer at the Integration Sports Club of the University of Physical Education in Warsaw covering one length of the pool was a success “We aren’t planning to break world records but I’m going to teach them the technique and how to breathe properly all of which are clearly visible in the water And they are making progress,” he explained Swimming the distance of 100 m in 1 minute and 30 seconds will be a good result Zbigniew Sajkiewicz emphasized that they still need training but he did not rule out a possibility of winning a medal in Sydney Some competitors have chosen disciplines that are completely new for them You have to hit a 40 cm target at the distance of 20 m The target has a yellow circle in the middle “Do you want to shoot the bow like Rambo or like Robin Hood?” asked the coach during the first training session The ones who chose the first option got recurve bows Janek Koczar was one of the people who chose Robin Hood Before he lost a leg in a mine explosion during a mission in the Balkans he was a marksman in the 16th Airborne Battalion He thinks that archery is not an easy discipline What counts most is repeatability and muscle memory and the trained body will do the work and make the arrows hit the target,” explained Ryszard Bukański a trainer who normally prepares paralympians He was very pleased with the progress of his charges “At Sydney Games they are going to shoot 10 arrows for a maximum of 300 points I’ll be happy if they get 250,” said Bukański One of the competitors who is going to take part in this discipline in Sydney is Dariusz Liszka who lost his arm during the 7th rotation of the Polish Military Contingent in Afghanistan Darek started his day with swimming (this is his second discipline) and – which is very important – distribute your strength and energy well and keep up the pace,” explained trainer Michał Sadowski a Polish representative in this discipline from the Sports Club for the Disabled in Szczecin which is another name for an indoor rowing machine I covered about one kilometer,” said Darek Liszka He plans to improve these results and fight for a place on the podium in October The day finished with sitting volleyball training such as returning a ball thrown by the coach because that increases chances of making a mistake Another exercise was to quickly move (slide) around the court Combining these two moves is not as easy as one might think “You must always turn to the side from which the ball is coming,” explained Bożydar Abadżijew the coach of the Polish representation in sitting volleyball the team (six players and three substitutes) played a game Today it is too early to say who will play in Sydney I am sure that we will be playing for a medal,” emphasized the coach who is going to play sitting volleyball in Sydney (and also compete in archery he is going to dedicate it to his daughter the fact that the Military Training and Fitness Center in Mrągowo has been chosen to prepare the Polish representation for Invictus Games is an honor The Center has been equipped with everything that the competitors need to exercise Surrounded by the waters of lake Czos and located at the Four Winds’ Peninsula the Center has been thoroughly modernized within the last few years – there is a new gym as well as new wellness and rehabilitation facilities What is important is that the infrastructure is adjusted to the needs of disabled people Injured veterans know this place very well because they come here for readaptation and fitness camps “We hope that after the amendment of the law on war veterans these camps will become a new pillar of our activity The Warsaw Garrison Command does its best to ensure that the conditions we offer are of the highest standard,” says Lt Col Wojciech Choiński The four-day International Country & Folk Picnic Festival in the northeastern town of Mrągowo promises a lineup of performers to entertain crowds at the local open-air theatre overlooking scenic Lake Czos and in other venues around the area Headline acts include Polish country music heavyweights Lonstar and Cezary Makiewicz along with the Dutch bands Music Road Pilots and Sunfire including British pedal steel guitarist Sarah Jory The 43rd Country Picnic and Folk Festival in Mrągowo one of the oldest music festivals in Poland "This year, we have an interesting mix of domestic and international acts for audiences to enjoy," including "plenty of ambitious acoustic music," the event’s producer and artistic director, Jerzy Głuszyk, told Polish Radio ahead of the event the International Country & Folk Picnic Festival is now in its 43rd incarnation It opens on Thursday in the heart of Poland’s picturesque lake district with a variety of attractions to celebrate this otherwise quintessentially American genre of music as well as all things American Source: jedynka.polskieradio.pl, mck.mragowo.pl Małgorzata Schwarzgruber talks with Ziemowit Budko about sport competition for the disabled which will take place in Sydney in October I am a specialist in orthopedics and sports medicine my role has been to assess the general health of players and to adapt the training to their abilities I react to possible injuries or diseases of the players I am glad that earlier I was in the Polish military contingent thus now I can participate in the medical protection of the injured veterans The veterans have already participated in two sports camps in the Training and Fitness Center in Mragowo where they had trained under the supervision of trainers they will finish preparations for their start in the Olympics What were the main reasons for choosing the competition Can some diseases exclude a player from participating in the games the types of veterans' disabilities and the types of competition planned for the Invictus Games were taken into account take part in the preparation of the players the main criterion limiting the possibility of participating in the Invictus Games may be the difficulty of traveling and possible acclimatization on the spot Veterans who were injured during foreign military missions have some limitations in the choice of sport discipline Does physical activity affect them similarly to healthy people Playing sports affects healthy and disabled people in a similar way but in the latter case their action is double because the exercises are also a form of rehabilitation People with disabilities are training to - similarly to the healthy ones - increase their muscular strength and physical capacity they can additionally develop their ability to compensate for their disabilities Sports activity becomes a multidirectional and comprehensive rehabilitation that affects both the physical and psychological realm of a man Trainings of healthy people are individualized and of the disabled ones - superindividualized because they have to be adapted to the health of a given person and the type of disease and disability Such activity is also increasingly promoted by paralympics World War II veterans had already taken part in sport competitions for example in 1944 RAF pilots participated in them Polish soldiers formerly serving at the Polish Military Contingent will compete with their colleagues from other armies with whom they previously had military operations Can train by themselves at the gym or do they have to do it under the supervision of a trainer If the veterans function by themselves daily then they do not have to be accompanied all the time by a trainer during physical exercises it is good to have a professional who will assess whether the exercises are done correctly and will correct their way of performing an exercise or arrange the training in a different order Healthy people play a significant role in the sport of disabled people Some help the visually impaired in training for example they can run or ride a bike in tandem with them for example they will organize training for wheelchair users This joint action is an additional integration factor People with disabilities do not feel excluded from sports activities at time and even have the opportunity to return to social functions Can some kind of disability be excluded from participating in sports People with disabilities play the same sport disciplines as healthy people the rules and categories of the relevant types of sport are adjusted Special disciplines are also created for people with special physical or mental limitations everyone has the chance to find a competition in which they can compete with others who are in a similar life situation It is also ensured that people with a similar degree of disability can compete with each other How does playing sports affect the human body which is of great importance for people with disabilities Systematic exercises also require involvement of the psyche which creates the strength of will and fortitude The result of trainings is increased efficiency of the body which leads directly to better coping with the physical hardships of everyday life as well as improving self-esteem and a better attitude to life The social aspect is also important - during joint exercises it is not only about competition but also about mutual support - beginners see what results they can achieve through the exercises People with disabilities can integrate with others who find themselves in a similar situation Ziemowit Budek is a specialist in orthopedics and sports medicine in the 2 Military Field Hospital in Wroclaw He participated in four changes of the Polish Military Contingent in Iraq and Afghanistan The 4th edition of the Games will host about 500 people from 18 different countries the representatives of Poland will compete for the first time The Games will feature competition in 11 sport disciplines The organizer of this international event is the Royal Foundation “Invictus Games demonstrate the tremendous power of sport They also inspire other injured veteran soldiers to join the next edition which will take place in May 2020 in The Hague the Netherlands,” emphasizes Col Leszek Stępień Director of the International Mission Veteran Centre which organizes the trip of our representatives to Sydney The Veteran Center received 83 applications from injured wounded and sick veterans who wished to take part in the Games composed of the representatives of all branches of the armed forces selected 25 people to compete in the Games The decision was based on the results of medical examinations conducted during the first April meeting at the Military Training and Fitness Center in Mrągowo the commission gathered for the second time after taking into consideration the opinions of doctors and trainers selected the final representation of Poland – 15 injured veterans and ten reserve ones It seems that the basic criterion considered by the commission was the degree of health damage since the level of disability of most selected applicants was determined as moderate or marked “We also wanted the competitors to represent all institutions and branches of the armed forces,” emphasized Col Leszek Stępień The competitors will take part in two more sport meetings at the Military Training and Fitness Centre in Mrągowo to prepare for Invictus Games “Three injured veterans serving at the Operational Command of the Branches of the Armed Forces have been training with our coach for several weeks now,” says Renata Matynia specialist for the wounded and injured at the Operational Command of the Branches of the Armed Forces wounded and sick veterans compete during Invictus Games change depending on the country where they are organized Each competitor can take part in several disciplines Janusz Raczy is a soldier severely injured during the second rotation of the Polish Military Contingent in Iraq He knew that his injuries ban him from strength sports “I had to give up archery because of my shattered shoulder It turned out that I am not able to draw back the string but the injuries I suffered during the mission spread rather evenly across my whole body although my left shoulder has a limited range of motion He wants to challenge his disability at Invictus Games but it’s not the most important thing,” emphasizes the veteran The Polish representation is being prepared for Invictus Games Sydney 2018 by trainers of the Polish Sports Association for the Disabled “START” They train soldiers in several disciplines “We are proud to be a part of such an important project,” says Łukasz Szeliga Col Stępień underlines that they are the best coaches to prepare people with disabilities for international competitions Łukasz Szeliga hopes that those who are going to compete in Invictus Games will also participate in various disciplines in Polish Championships or the Cup of Poland for people with disabilities and in the future possibly represent Poland at the Paralympics “Many paralympic medalists from the USA and Great Britain are former soldiers,” adds Łukasz Szeliga who lost his leg during a mission in the Balkans in 1996 He says that he has always liked sport and rivalry he is not a stranger to intensive physical training he took part in the Spitsbergen Arctic Expedition 2014 “Trekking across glaciers proved to me that disability doesn’t have to be an obstacle in taking on even the most exhilarating challenges Another serviceman going to Sydney is Mariusz Saczek confined to a wheelchair due to his damaged spine He wants to participate in Invictus Games to prove himself he presented great strength of his arms and skillfulness in handling a bow I scored 37 out of 40 possible points in four shots at the distance of 20 m I feel the most confident in this discipline,” he says The Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) is the strategic partner of the Polish representation of veterans at the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 sport and rehabilitation competition the stay of caretakers and family members of injured veterans competing in the Games and cover the participation cost of veterans from outside the MoND (two severely injured veterans no longer serve in the army) Friends and family will join the competitors at Invictus Games They are going to cheer them on during sport events The injured veterans unanimously state that “their presence at the Games is a thank you for staying by our side during the long rehabilitation process.” Despite the EC’s support for alternative means of transport, road transport has been increasing its share in the total structure of transport, says PwC in a report “Transport of the Future. Prospects for the development of road transport in Poland in 2020-2030” road transport’s share of total freight transport performance (ton-kilometers tkm) by EU operators was 50 per cent and will stay at this level for another 10 years the share of transport performance by air did not exceed 0.1 per cent while the share of rail transport was 10.3-12.5 per cent Inland waterways had 3.8-4.8 per cent of share Maritime transport’s share decreased by almost 5 percentage points from 38.1 per cent in 2008 to 33.3 per cent in 2016 It’s clear that the road freight transport sector plays a key role in Poland’s economy industry and agriculture in the total value added has not changed significantly an increase in gross value added generated by the road transport sector is observed in the EU the added value generated by the sector grew on average by 1.7 per cent annually Transport and Logistics sector (T&L) generated total added value in the economy of PLN115bn (EUR26.61bn) the Polish road transport industry has been experiencing dynamic growth due to the opening up of an access to freight transport markets in the EU PwC has no doubt that the financial crisis shaped the beginning of the last decade Authors of the report say that one consequence was a reduction in transport performance (total tkm) in the road transport industry in the EU in the next 4 years after the crisis Eurostat data indicate that the total tkm performed fell from 1.89 trillion tkm in 2008 to 1.69-1.77 trillion tkm in 2009-13 The 2008 level was finally exceeded in 2017 when transport performance reached the level of almost 1.92 trillion tkm But Poland’s share in transport performance in the years 2008-2017 increased dynamically doubling over the period to reach the level of 18 per cent Polish enterprises rank first in terms of their share in the total transport performance in the EU followed by German and then French carriers The increased share of Polish companies in the transport performance was a result of the increased shares in all three fields in 2008-2017 — services carried out in the country of origin of a given carrier services handling imports and exports of goods to and from the given carrier’s country of origin exported services such as cabotage and cross-trade carried out by carriers from a given country in other UE countries Most of the T&L companies in Poland are struggling with the lack of drivers is likely to deepen and have a negative impact on their growth the shortage of drivers was estimated at 100,000-110,000 out of a pool of 600,000-650,000 jobs (i.e The level of shortage currently felt by the industry is 20 per cent the drivers shortage can be as high as 200,000 compared to an estimated demand of around 950,000 drivers This problem has been noticed by Polish authorities new vocational schools have started offering a driver/mechanic profile PwC reports that in the school year 2018/2019 there were 136 such schools in Poland and hopes Poland can expect an increase in the number of people entering the driver’s profession within 3-5 years The problem faced by haulers is not only a shortage of drivers with formal qualifications young drivers who are still gaining professional experience generate the largest work quality issues employers are sometimes reluctant to hire them as they require longer training and even an initial training period with an experienced employee Another solution is employment of foreign drivers – if there is an insufficient supply of foreign drivers from just across the eastern border Polish trucks are being driven by over 65,000 drivers from other countries mainly from Ukraine and Belarus (72 and 24 per cent of foreign drivers respectively) Those from other countries are a small group The Polish road transport sector will grow in the area of import/export services The predominant share of the EU countries in the structure of Poland’s foreign trade may PwC reminds that Poland’s share in the total EU trade in goods is systematically growing – it amounted to 3 per cent in 2008 annual growth in the value of trade in goods (i.e trade excluding services) averaged 6.8 per cent for imports and 8.8 per cent for exports from 2015 onwards Poland became a net exporter 80 per cent of exports and 69 per cent of imports went to/came from the EU countries Poland’s largest trade partner for both exports and imports over the years remains Germany As much as 28 per cent of Polish exports are directed to Germany and 22 per cent of imported goods to Poland come from Germany The dynamics of Polish trade depends on the situation in the EU trade with other countries will not be able to completely offset the demand gap Poland’s total foreign trade (including services) is projected to increase by nearly 7 per cent annually which will convert into an increase in the tonnage serviced by Polish carriers annual growth in trade should remain positive While the liberalization of access to the EU market for Polish entrepreneurs has so far enabled them to develop their exported transport services their further opportunities for exporting services will depend to a large extent on the legal and political factors The introduction of the „Mobility Package” provisions significantly threatens Polish carriers in the area of cross trade and cabotage the European Parliament adopted a report on the „Mobility Package” including specific regulations dealing with the posting of workers admission to the occupation of road transport operator and to EU markets as well as social aspects (including working time) and the activities of controlling institutions Poland perceives these changes as a huge threat to the industry The new regulations may start to partially affect the market from mid-2020 Polish road transport sector will not be affected by them but growth after 2022 will certainly be constrained by increased enforcement of compliance with the new legislation Regulatory changes related to the „Mobility Package” may prevent Polish carriers from providing a large share of their cross-trade and cabotage services which account for 23 per cent of their transport performance (36 per cent of transport performance in international transport) The steadily growing ecological requirements imposed on engines will lead to changes in the automotive industry PwC points out that urban logistics has to deal with the phenomenon of growing congestion and its consequences 96 per cent of heavy goods vehicles in Europe were powered by diesel engines thus there is a huge potential for the use of alternative sources But their use on a wider scale depends on the availability of refueling and recharging infrastructure PwC experts assume that the low popularity of bioethanol in Poland in recent years is related to the practical lack of stations where it might be refueled It is estimated that there are already 646 electric vehicle charging stations in Poland but this still does not guarantee convenient geographical coverage for electric car drivers This is why PwC predicts that in the short term the automotive industry will continue looking for other (non-electric) alternative sources for the heaviest vehicles and that large-scale deployment of such drives will take place within 5 or more years The Polish road transport sector is currently at the peak of its growth PwC estimates that the tonnage will increase from approx with an average annual increase of 5.3 per cent Carriers from Central and Southeast European countries pose limited competition for Polish carriers due to the fact that they come from small geographic markets with limited resources carriers from outside the EU (in particular from Russia) are putting pressure on Polish transport companies due to lower costs PwC points out that there are also internal challenges as the Polish road freight transport sector is highly fragmented almost 239,000 entities were registered on the Polish transport market and almost 90 per cent of them (over 210,000) were self-employed natural persons as many as 98.1 per cent (234,000) of enterprises employed fewer than 10 people Companies employing up to 50 people form another 1.6 per cent of the market and entities with over 50 employees accounted for only 0.3 per cent According to the data of the General Inspectorate of Road Transport (GITD) there were almost 36,000 licenses issued for performing international road freight transport there were nearly 20,000 permits for performing transport services documents allowing for commercial transport in Poland The Polish road transport industry did not show a tendency to increase concentration in the past (the market shares of the 20 largest players have not risen significantly in recent years) Industry representatives also believe that Polish carriers do not have a tendency to cooperate and instead opt to operate on their own even if joining forces could be beneficial for them consolidation of the market is unavoidable (12.04.2025) The organisers of the ORLEN OIL 81st Rally Poland have published the itinerary of the round four of 2025 FIA ERC season As many as 14 gravel special stages are set to host championship title contenders Even though names of the stages sound familiar Only Mikolajki Arena superspecial stage remained unchanged Rally Poland is being held in Masurian Lake District for the 20th time This year the event is a part of European and Polish rally championships with more than 190 kilometres of special stages The rally HQ and service park are traditionally located in Mikołajki – We have modified the route to adapt it to the current requirements of the FIA European Championship The changes also include the qualifying stage which must be at least six kilometres long The Saturday stages are quite close to each other Stare Juchy test could be crucial for the outcome of the competition. It is a fast and at the same time very diverse stage where competitors will face various challenges so for many crews it will be completely new The central part of the Swietajno stage runs on the roads which have never been used before in Rally Poland The route of the Olecko special stage has also been modified which this time is located east of the town The next stage is the Pozezdrze test with numerous fan zones The results of the rally shall be known after Gmina Mragowo Power Stage is finished – said Krzysztof Maciejewski The first day of the ORLEN OIL 81st Rally Poland Baranowo stage (6.3 km) will be the arena of free practice (10:30) qualifying stage (13:01) and shakedown (14:00) The results of qualifying stage are crucial in gravel events as they determine the starting order for Saturday’s stages The fastest crews of qualifying can avoid running in front of the field which means reduced grip due to loose gravel and sand covering the stages The first special stage to count towards the classification will be a spectacular head-to-head battle on the Mikolajki Arena track (2.5 km Saturday will feature three special stages to be covered twice and another visit to the track in Mikołajki The rally crews will report to the start of the Swietajno (16.3 km from 10:50 and 16:20) and Stare Juchy (13.6 km The last of the stages has been included in the Rally Poland schedule for the first time since 2019 The day will end with another spectacular show on the Mikołajki Arena The second and final leg of the ORLEN OIL 81st Rally Poland consists of three special stages which will be held twice – in the morning and afternoon loop The organisers have planned the following sequence: SS Mikolajki (7.6 km from 9:05 and 12:40) and SS Gmina Mragowo (15.2 km The final test of the event will run as Power Stage where five fastest crews score additional points towards European and Polish championship standings The finish ceremony and prize giving will traditionally take place in the Market Square in Mikołajki (from 17:30) ITINERARY