Despite finishing second overall at this year’s Tour de France Femmes, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney is already looking forward to next year’s race.
The Canyon-SRAM rider eventually finished third on the final stage in Nice, ceding even more time to eventual winner Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ), but she put up a tenacious fight trying to take a second edition of the race she won in 2024.
Having won Friday’s thrilling stage to Mont Ventoux, and taken the yellow jersey, Niewiadoma-Phinney lost the overall lead in controversial circumstances on Saturday. However, she came out swinging for the final stage, her intention being to reclaim her eight-second deficit.
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With the intermediate sprint after the first of four ascents of Col d’Èze over and done with, her team went to work lifting the pace and grinding the peloton away. British champion Zoe Bäckstedt put in a huge turn, whittling the leading group to just a handful of riders. Then, on the final ascent, it was Antonia Niedermaier’s turn, before her leader made a move on the steepest slopes.
Vollering was able to go with her, though, and near to the top the Dutch rider attacked, dropping Niewiadoma-Phinney and riding to victory. In the end, the Polish rider finished 1:04 down, her GC deficit out to 1:18, well clear of Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team L’IMAD) in third place. However, when interviewed by TNT Sports after the finish, she remained defiant.
"Yeah, exactly. I mean, honestly, having a competitor like Demi just motivates me to be stronger. I know the Tour is finished, but I feel like I just want to message my coach and say, 'OK, this and this and this we need to change, or work on.'"
Though she praised her entire team, she reserved a special mention for Bäckstedt, "Oh my god, yes, I don’t know if Zoe knows, but she’s officially a climber.
"She definitely put me in trouble and the whole peloton; it was something incredible. Also, you know it’s so nice to see when the team believes in going for it and it’s beautiful to be part of such a crazy team."
As well as winning two years ago, Niewiadoma-Phinney has finished on the podium in every edition of the Tour since the race returned in 2022.
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