Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto's Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney has become unfortunately infamous for finishing second in the big Classics, but three runner-up spots so far in 2026 still feels like a lot.
Her latest second place came in the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday, and felt especially cruel. Her tried-and-tested Cauberg attack worked and she even beat Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) in the sprint to the line, but sadly, it was for second, not the win, with Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ) sailing to victory 30 seconds up the road.
Of course, Niewiadoma-Phinney is not a perpetual runner-up – she's a winner of the Tour de France Femmes, after all – but so far this spring she's been pipped to the line in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche and Amstel, and is still waiting for her first win of 2026.
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Asked how it felt to finish second once more, Niewiadoma-Phinney initially laughed it off, but then answered more seriously, taking inspiration from her equally always close male counterpart.
"Honestly I think just seeing Wout [van Aert] pulling it off in Roubaix gave me so much faith for what's next," she said, referencing the Belgian's hugely popular comeback victory last Sunday.
"So I'm doing what I have to do, staying patient, and I believe it's going to come."
On Sunday, it was not necessarily a lack of strength that cost Niewiadoma-Phinney in the race she previously won in 2019, but just the stress and chaos of the race, and in the finale, timing.
"I think that Amstel is honestly known for being one of the most stressful Classics, just because there are a lot of important sections, there are a lot of things on the road, and you feel massive tension in the bunch because everyone wants to be in the front," she explained.
"Then you have the section of four hard, steep climbs and of course it's still far to go, because it's still 80km to go when that's finished."
This year, it was the spring's most successful team, FDJ United-Suez, who were set on making the race as difficult as possible, as early as possible.
"Usually it's very hard, and this time FDJ took over and they were really pacing it hard, not attacking but just setting a hard pace that was naturally reducing the bunch. Then on the first two laps, not much happened, just that the pace was always hard from FDJ."
It was in a brief lull in this pace that eventual winner Paula Blasi was able to attack, and it was perhaps because of all that work that she was able to get away for the wi. After controlling and riding all day, FDJ took a gamble to not chase the Spanish rider down, and they lost.
Niewiadoma-Phinney then bided her time, and eventually went in a late move with Vollering to try to bridge to Blasi on the Cauberg, but ultimately, it was too late to contend for the win.
"The attacks started, a bunch of different attacks on and off. I just tried to draft and stay behind Demi or Anna van der Breggen and wait for the right moment to go," she explained. "It's just a pity that we were not fighting for the victory in the back anymore."
Niewiadoma-Phinney has two more chances in quick succession in Ardennes week, starting with Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday, the race she won in 2024.
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