After profitable La Flèche Wallonne Femmes, Kasia Niewiadoma celebrated not solely her particular person and Canyon-SRAM’s staff outcome but in addition affirmation that her continued perception in herself and her power would repay someday.
Final yr, Niewiadoma broke a drought of virtually 5 years and not using a victory when she received the UCI Gravel World Championship in her first outing within the sport’s latest self-discipline. The outcome got here after a slew of near-misses courting again to her final victories in 2019.
Niewiadoma has been there or thereabouts since she made her professional debut in 2013 and has animated quite a few races together with her aggressive racing model however hardly ever has been capable of have a good time on the rostrum’s prime step.
Three-quarters of her podium locations have been seconds and thirds, and most of her victories have are available lower-level occasions. Earlier than Wednesday, she had simply two one-day WorldTour race victories to her identify: the Trofeo Alfredo Binda in 2018 and the Amstel Gold Race in 2019.
After final yr’s Tour de France Femmes the place she was capable of assault on the stage over the Col du Tourmalet and maintain off everybody however eventual winner Demi Vollering (SD Worx) – that was the primary indication that her arduous work was starting to repay.
She narrowly missed the rostrum in Strade Bianche after which made the profitable transfer on the Tour of Flanders solely to fall simply wanting the win behind Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek).
To lastly style victory once more at La Flèche Wallonne made the Polish rider “tremendous pleased”.
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“I am simply trying ahead to going again to the bus and celebrating with my women as a result of I really feel like that is the attractive half about profitable is to have a good time with the shut ones,” Niewiadoma mentioned to CyclingPro.internet.
“I actually do hope that lots of people can be impressed by the pursuit of their very own success as a result of it all the time occurs so long as you are conserving religion and arduous work then, yeah, then you possibly can maintain it in your arms.
“It is all concerning the religion … if you understand what you are able to and you do not let anybody make you are feeling much less or if you happen to do not let any failure make you are feeling like you do not deserve one thing then something’s potential.”
Niewiadoma took a lesson from Lorena Wiebes’ mistake of celebrating too quickly on the Amstel Gold Race solely to be pipped by Marianne Vos.
“To be trustworthy after Sunday’s end … I simply wished to cross the end line after which have a good time as a result of something can occur and I used to be too drained to even look again. So I did not know if the ladies have been coming or in the event that they have been even on my wheel. So the second I completed I crossed the end line, I used to be like, what the…?”
At 29, Niewiadoma is reaching the prime of her profession and seeing the advantages of a extra bold coaching regime within the low season.
“Along with my coach, we put a variety of effort into the same intervals like what you do in the course of the [Mur de] Huy.”
On the finish of final season, Niewiadoma mentioned she would deal with the Ardennes Classics and had taken a variety of notes from the 2023 season in formulating her coaching plan together with her coach.
“It is all the time difficult to truly know the right way to put together your self for the Classics in order that you do not overdo it, however you’ve sufficient to maintain your efficiency from Strade Bianche originally of March to Liège [Bastogne-Liège] on the finish of April,” she mentioned to Cyclingnews final yr.
“I believe, with my coach, we have been a bit too delicate with the coaching as a result of with each week I may really feel I used to be getting stronger and by the point I used to be stepping into fine condition the Classics had completed!”
This yr, she discovered prime kind simply in time. With Liège-Bastogne-Liège simply days away, she most well-liked not to consider the prospect of a second victory.
“Positively the arrogance is excessive and I’m not occupied with Sunday but. I simply wish to actually take pleasure in immediately as a result of it is very particular for us. And naturally, I do know that I am in fine condition so we are going to now use it to our profit on Sunday.”
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