Niewiadoma outsmarted top favorites like Vollering, Persico and Wiebes at World Cup gravel: "Fuck yeah, I got this"

At the World Gravel Championships for elite women, Kasia Niewiadoma knew no limits. The 29-year-old Polish rider, who secured third place in the final ranking of the Tour de France Femmes in July, embarked on a spectacular solo journey to victory in Veneto. The Eastern European left other road cycling stars like Silvia Persico (second) and Demi Vollering (third) trailing behind her. IDLProCycling.com was present to witness Niewiadoma's triumph, and she graciously made time for questions from the press afterward.

"It was incredibly intriguing to participate in this world championship, especially since I had never competed in a gravel race before," remarked the always cheerful champion. "It was also rather unique that everyone was riding for themselves, and there wasn't much teamwork involved. Normally, the ladies from SD Worx are unstoppable," she winked at Vollering, who had also joined the press conference. "But this time, except for the Italian team, everyone was riding independently. I viewed it as a one-of-a-kind opportunity, and surprisingly, I felt in excellent form. On the climbs, I could feel my legs were strong. Additionally, I had fantastic equipment at my disposal, so I must extend my gratitude to SRAM and Canyon."

Niewiadoma is in a relationship with Taylor Phinney and will soon have her rainbow jersey on display already

Niewiadoma made her move at sixteen kilometers from the finish. The affable climber quickly established a comfortable gap. She extended her lead rapidly and managed to maintain it until the conclusion in Pieve di Soligo, a town situated not far from both Treviso and Venice. "The last five kilometers were manageable," she commented on the course, which had its toughest challenges in its final stretch. "It was the kilometers leading up to the ultimate stage that proved to be demanding. Primarily, it was because the final climb was incredibly tough. I also had to contend with cramps on that ascent, but I knew I had a reasonable lead, and I tried not to stress too much."

As Pieve di Soligo came into sight, Niewiadoma's realization sunk in. "At that point, it was all about maintaining concentration. When I saw my friend and my in-laws waiting near the finish line, I thought, 'F**k yeah, I got this!' she vividly described the moment. Normally, the 2019 Amstel Gold Race winner's season would have concluded, but she shared that she will be donning her rainbow jersey at a gravel race in the United States in the very near future. "Honestly, the main reason I'm going there is because my friend, Taylor Phinney, is DJing at an event. It seemed like a fun idea to go together. It's more like a disguised vacation and just for fun, as I don't necessarily want to shift my focus entirely to the gravel circuit."