On the final laps of the elite women’s road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong it was Kasia Niewiadoma who lit the fuse to spark the race into action. Ultimately Niewiadoma had to settle for eighth place with her group caught in the final kilometre before Annemiek van Vleuten launched a one in one million attack to win the race.
Niewiadoma, the bronze medallist from Flanders in 2022, brought the race to life on the penultimate ascent of Mount Pleasant on the Wollongong city circuit, prompting a reaction from from Liane Lippert (Germany), Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa), Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy), and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Denmark).
“The last laps were definitely intense and very fast. I actually wish that the action had started earlier because I feel like for the first 135km we were just riding quite easily and without much going on,” Niewiadoma told Cyclingnews in the post-race mixed zone. “I do believe that because of that, there were a lot of girls who were actually still able to hang on in the last two laps and chase us down. In retrospect, I do believe that it would be nicer if the race was harder earlier on.
“Anytime it is over 150, everyone is so cautious," said Niewiadoma after the 164.3km long event. "There is no racing, just riding and I hope the next editions will be around 140 so the action is on straight away.”
Brought back on the flat run into the finish line by City Beach, the quintet would again emerge the strongest on the final climb and pulled clear of the multiple chase groups. However, Niewiadoma was not confident that a rainbow jersey was waiting for her group at the finish line.
“I did believe that if we broke away with three girls instead of five, the cooperation would be way more smoother and stronger,” she told reporters. “Having five riders and knowing two of us would end up without the medal definitely gave us a little hesitation and in the last 2km we were all thinking about the sprint.”
Having twice attacked on the harder part of the course to force the break, Niewiadoma bemoaned the fact her group was never given a chance, with the feeling that everyone was riding against her and her chances for victory.
“When Annemiek went, it was just the perfect moment but also a shame that we just let her go because my breakaway got chased straight away,” she said. “So why is no one chasing Annemiek? She is like one of the strongest girls in the world.”
With no race radios or team cars to relay information, Niewiadoma was none the wiser as to the situation behind her leading group. Another factor that worked against her chances for a medal and favoured the chase groups behind.
“We had no information at all. Racing without the radio and having no idea who is behind us and if the group is big or small or the gap is made it tricky in a way like we didn’t know how to spend our energy,” she said with a sense of exasperation. “If you know that there is just ten seconds you go very deep. If you have no idea, you always think about the final.”
Niewiadoma was towards the back of the chase group in the sprint for silver but held off a number of riders as the groups coalesced in the finale, doing enough to secure her fifth top-ten result in ten world championships.
As Niewiadoma explained her thoughts of the finish, the replay of the finale was broadcast on the TV screens in the mixed zone. She paused to watch the replay providing commentary on how the finale played out.
“Actually you can see it now. Look, no one does anything. It’s a shame,” she said of the moment Van Vleuten launched her move.
“I don’t know how she sprints with that elbow, but chapeau.”
As Niewiadoma listened for the next question, former Canyon-SRAM trade teammate Omer Shapira, gave her a kiss on the cheek, briefly surprising her and breaking her attention. The two then embraced with Shapira sharing that she briefly thought Niewiadoma had won the world title. Had the action started earlier, she may well have.
