Rafał Majka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rafał Majka

Majka at the 2022 Tour of Slovenia
Personal information
Full name	Rafał Majka
Born	(1989-09-12) 12 September 1989 (age 35) Zegartowice, Poland
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	58 kg (128 lb; 9 st 2 lb)
Team information
Current team	UAE Team Emirates
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Climbing specialist
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France Mountains classification (2014, 2016) 3 individual stages (2014, 2015) Vuelta a España 2 individual stages (2017, 2021) Stage races Tour de Pologne (2014) Tour of Slovenia (2017) One-day races and Classics National Road Race Championships (2016, 2025)

Rafał Majka is a professional cyclist from Poland, born on September 12, 1989. He is known for being a very strong climber, especially on mountains. He rides for the UAE Team Emirates cycling team.

Majka became famous at the 2013 Giro d'Italia race, where he finished seventh overall. He has won many races throughout his career. Some of his biggest achievements include winning three mountain stages in the Tour de France. He also won the "mountains classification" twice in the Tour de France, which means he was the best climber.

He has won two stages in the Vuelta a España and the overall victory at the 2014 Tour de Pologne, a big race in his home country. In 2015, he achieved his best result in a "Grand Tour" race by finishing third in the Vuelta a España. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, he won a bronze medal for Poland in the road race.

Rafał Majka: A Cycling Star

Starting His Professional Journey

Rafał Majka started his professional cycling career in February 2011. He joined the Saxo Bank–SunGard team. In his first year, he rode in the 2011 Vuelta a España, but he had to leave the race before the end.

In 2012, Majka showed his talent by finishing second in a stage at the Tour de l'Ain. He also won the white jersey for the best young rider at the 2012 Tour of Beijing, where he finished seventh overall. He ended that season with a third-place finish at the Japan Cup.

Rising Through the Ranks

In 2013, Majka competed in the 2013 Giro d'Italia for the first time. He battled for the best young rider jersey and finished seventh overall in the race. Later that year, he led his home race, the 2013 Tour de Pologne, for three days. He finished fourth overall and won the points classification, which rewards consistent high finishes. He also achieved podium finishes in other important races like 2013 Milano–Torino (second) and the 2013 Giro di Lombardia (third).

Tour de France Success

Majka wearing the polka-dot jersey, which means he was the leader of the mountains classification, at the 2014 Tour de France.

In 2014, Majka was a last-minute addition to his team for the 2014 Tour de France. He made the most of this chance! He won his first professional race stage on stage 14, becoming the first Polish rider to win a Tour de France stage since 1993. Four days later, he won another stage on a mountain finish.

These wins, along with other strong performances in the mountains, helped Majka win the polka dot jersey. This jersey is given to the best climber in the Tour de France. He was the first Polish rider to win any jersey at the Tour de France.

Winning His Home Race

A few weeks after his Tour de France success, Majka won two stages at the 2014 Tour de Pologne. He then took the overall lead of the race. He held on to win the Tour de Pologne by eight seconds, becoming the first Polish rider to win the race at the top level of cycling.

Grand Tour Podiums and Olympic Medal

In 2015, Majka focused on the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. He won stage 11 of the 2015 Tour de France from a breakaway, marking his third Tour stage victory.

His main goal for the season was the 2015 Vuelta a España. He rode very well throughout the race, staying close to the top riders. On the second-to-last stage, he moved from fourth to third place overall. This was his first time finishing on the podium (top three) in a Grand Tour race.

Olympic Bronze Medal

Majka at the 2016 Tour de France.

In 2016, Majka finished fifth overall at the 2016 Giro d'Italia, which was his best result in that race at the time. After the Giro, he won the Polish National Road Race Championships for the first time.

At the 2016 Tour de France, his team leader had to leave the race. Majka then became a key rider for his team. He rode in many breakaways and won the mountains classification again, just like in 2014.

Later that year, at the Rio Olympics, Majka won a bronze medal in the individual road race. He was part of a small group of riders at the front. Even though he was caught near the end, he still managed to finish third. This was Poland's first medal at the Rio Olympics and the first medal for a Polish male cyclist in this event since 1980.

New Team, New Role

In 2017, Majka joined the Bora–Hansgrohe team. He continued to be a strong rider in stage races. He finished second overall at the 2017 Tour of California, winning a stage there. He also won the overall title and the mountains classification at the 2017 Tour of Slovenia.

In September 2017, Majka achieved his first stage win at the 2017 Vuelta a España. He won a tough mountain stage, holding off some of the best riders.

Consistent Performances

Majka continued to show strong results in 2018 and 2019. He had several top-ten finishes in major stage races, including the 2018 Abu Dhabi Tour and the 2018 Tour of California. In 2019, he finished sixth overall in both the 2019 Giro d'Italia and the 2019 Vuelta a España. He also placed well in other races like the 2019 Tour of the Alps and the 2019 Volta a Catalunya.

In 2020, Majka finished third overall at the 2020 Tirreno–Adriatico, a very important stage race. He also placed fourth in his home race, the 2020 Tour de Pologne.

Supporting a Champion

In 2021, Majka joined the UAE Team Emirates. His new role was to be a "domestique" for Tadej Pogačar, one of the best cyclists in the world. A domestique is a teammate who helps their leader win races, often by setting a fast pace or protecting them.

Majka (far left) leading his teammate Tadej Pogačar (in yellow) at the 2021 Tour de France, a race that Pogačar won for the second time.

Majka played a crucial role in helping Pogačar win his second consecutive 2021 Tour de France title. Even in his supporting role, Majka still found success. He won stage 15 of the 2021 Vuelta a España with an impressive solo attack, showing he could still win big races on his own.

Recent Achievements

Majka, wearing the race leader's green jersey, at the 2022 Tour of Slovenia. He finished second overall behind his teammate Tadej Pogačar and also won the mountains classification.

In 2022, Majka continued to support Pogačar. At the 2022 Tour of Slovenia, he won two stages and finished second overall, right behind Pogačar. He also won the mountains classification in that race. In one stage, he and Pogačar even played "rock paper scissors" to decide who would win the stage, with Majka taking the victory!

In 2023, Majka again supported Pogačar at the 2023 Tour de France. He helped his team leader and another teammate, Adam Yates, who finished third overall. Majka also won stage three of the 2023 Tour de Pologne, showing his strength on uphill finishes. In 2025, he won the Polish National Road Race Championships for the second time in his career.

Personal Life

Rafał Majka married Magdalena Kowal on October 18, 2014. They have two children, born in February 2017 and November 2020.

Major Results

Source:

Grand Tour Results

Grand Tour general classification results
Grand Tour	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Giro d'Italia	—	—	7	6	—	5	—	—	6	12	—	—	—	15	13
Tour de France	—	—	—	44	28	27	DNF	19	—	—	34	DNF	14	—
Vuelta a España	DNF	32	19	—	3	—	39	13	6	—	21	—	—	—

Major Stage Race Results

Major stage race general classification results
Stage races	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Paris–Nice	—	—	—	31	68	21	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Tirreno–Adriatico	—	73	—	—	—	—	24	37	52	3	57	25	—	37	72
Volta a Catalunya	—	DNF	82	—	DNF	—	11	—	7	NH	—	—	36	—	—
Tour of the Basque Country	—	—	—	—	15	—	—	—	—		39	35	—	—	—
Tour de Romandie	47	—	DNF	13	7	DNF	—	—	—		—	—	—	10	—
Critérium du Dauphiné	34	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	14	—
Tour de Suisse	—	—	—	—	10	—	—	—	—	NH	—	—	—	—

Monument Race Results

See also

In Spanish: Rafał Majka para niños