Edward Barcik began his professional cycling career in the mid-1960s, with his talent soon being recognised. In 1971 Barcik, along with compatriots Stanisław Szozda, Jan Smyrak, and Lucjan Lis, won bronze in the team time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Switzerland. One year later at the München Olympics, Barcik went one better in the same event, winning silver with Szozda, Lis, and Ryszard Szurkowski.
In Barcik’s brief career he became the Polish road race champion in 1971, and won the Tour of Małopolska in 1972 and the Szlakiem Grodów Piastowskich stage race in 1975. He rode in three editions of the Tour de Pologne, with a best finish of fifth in 1971, in addition to placing third at the 1975 Tour of Bulgaria. Barcik suffered bad luck with multiple injuries and a heavy crash during a track race. In late 1981 he moved to Hanau in West Germany with his wife just prior to martial law being declared in Poland.
Poland