Image source: Instagram/@kasianiewiadoma94
Katarzyna Niewiadoma, Poland’s cycling sensation, clinched the Tour de France Femmes in a race that was as brutal as it was beautiful. Her victory came after enduring the most excruciating pain of her life, both physically and mentally. But beyond the triumph, Niewiadoma envisions a future where men and women are treated equally in sports.
On Sunday, the final stage of the Tour de France Femmes was nothing short of thrilling. Defending champion Demi Vollering of the Netherlands made a strong push to reclaim her title. Katarzyna Niewiadoma, however, held onto the yellow jersey with fierce determination.
Vollering began the day in eighth place, trailing Niewiadoma by one minute and 15 seconds. Many expected her to be the greatest threat. When she launched her attack on the penultimate climb, Katarzyna Niewiadoma feared her dream was slipping away.
“There was a moment on the Col du Glandon where I thought I had lost it all,” Katarzyna Niewiadoma shared with Reuters. “I didn’t feel great, neither physically nor mentally. Watching Demi attack from a distance was disheartening. The climb felt never-ending, and I was mentally drained.”
As she descended, Niewiadoma mustered whatever energy she had left. “I ate everything I could find and started to feel a bit better. I knew I just had to try.”
But that energy was short-lived. In the final three kilometers, Katarzyna Niewiadoma was running on empty. “It was the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt on a bike,” she recalled. “I was barely holding on, using every ounce of strength I had left.”
Vollering was the first to cross the finish line, gaining an additional 10 seconds. Yet, Niewiadoma’s relentless effort secured her fourth place, enough to win the Tour by a mere four seconds.
“When I crossed the finish line, my mind was blank,” Niewiadoma said.”The pain in the final kilometers was so intense that all I wanted to do was lie down. But then I heard cheering, and it hit me—we had won the Tour de France.”
This victory was particularly sweet for Katarzyna Niewiadoma, who had finished third in the previous two Tours. The race concluded on the legendary Alpe d’Huez climb, a fitting end to an epic battle. While she admitted dreaming of a simpler finish in Paris, she acknowledged that the dramatic finale drew much attention. “It was brutal, beautiful, and rewarding for the entire sport,” she said.
Despite her extraordinary achievement, Niewiadoma’s financial reward was a mere 50,000 euros ($55,735.00), a fraction of the 500,000 euros ($557,350.00) earned by Tadej Pogacar, the men’s Tour winner. However, Niewiadoma, at 29, remains hopeful for change.
“I believe we will reach the place we deserve,” she said. “Every rider’s dream is to have a daughter who can compete in sports without facing gender inequality. Equal suffering deserves equal rewards.”
In a poetic twist, the Polish word “niewiadoma” means “unknown.” But after her remarkable Tour de France win, Katarzyna Niewiadoma’s name will forever be known and celebrated in the world of cycling.
