Walking through the mixed zone in Pau wearing her polka-dot jersey, Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) had a relaxed smile on her face while answering the media’s questions. At first glance, her 2023 Tour de France Femmes did not go much better than the 2022 edition as the 28-year-old finished third overall again – but if you look closer, Niewiadoma closed the gap to the once-dominant Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Team), won the mountain classification, and most of all, raced with panache, going hell for leather on the Col d’Aspin descent in a courageous bid for victory.
“It gave me amazing feelings to finish second on the Tourmalet, only behind Demi [Vollering]. After the Classics, I was doubting myself. I felt like I was working hard but somehow missing the top. I was not able to be the one that creates the final. That is never easy mentally. Being able to be in the front and not be caught straight away on the Tourmalet gave me extra motivation, strength and in some ways a ‘fuck ya’ feeling,” Niewiadoma was happy with her performance on the queen stage of the race.
On the final day, she was then faced with the task of defending her second place in GC against Van Vleuten and Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx). However, Niewiadoma had prepared specifically for this time trial.
“Having done the time trial in the Tour de Suisse made me realise that it’s not just about getting on the bike and hoping to push the power that you normally push on your road bike. Being able to spend three or four weeks at altitude where I could only train and work on my weaknesses paid off.”
In the end, Kopecky made up exactly the 45 seconds that she was behind Niewiadoma, and the Belgian took the runner-up spot by just 21 hundredths of a second. Niewiadoma was disappointed to drop down in GC on the final day but happy she stayed on the overall podium.
“That would have been a mood destroyer,” she said.
Instead, there was a good mood in the Canyon-SRAM camp on the Place de Verdun as riders, staff members, and fans, all clad in polka-dots t-shirts, listened to an impromptu speech from Niewiadoma where she thanked everyone for their dedication before toasting to the podium and mountain jersey with champagne-filled paper cups.
One staff member who had a big influence on Niewiadoma’s performance was Magnus Bäckstedt who joined Canyon-SRAM as sports director ahead of the 2023 season.
“Maggie has made a difference on our team, combined with the fact that we change our roster…
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