Niewiadoma Wins Women's Tour de France by a Narrow Four Seconds

Katarzyna Niewiadoma's triumph at the Women's Tour de France was a testament to her resilience and determination. The Polish rider, representing Canyon-SRAM Racing, emerged victorious by a mere four seconds, the narrowest margin in the event's history.

Niewiadoma's victory was hard-fought, as she faced a formidable challenge from reigning champion Demi Vollering of the Netherlands. The final stage, culminating on the grueling Alpe d'Huez, saw Vollering secure a stage win and close in on Niewiadoma's lead. However, Niewiadoma held on to her advantage, maintaining a four-second gap at the finish line.

The race was marked by dramatic events, including a significant crash involving Vollering in the fifth stage. Despite losing crucial time, Vollering mounted an impressive comeback, reducing the gap to just over a minute by the final stage.

During the last 150 km stretch, Vollering made a strong push, briefly overtaking Niewiadoma while climbing the Col du Glandon. Niewiadoma, however, regrouped in the final 5 km, regaining enough time to maintain her overall lead.

Niewiadoma's victory was particularly significant given her previous near-misses in the race. She had placed third in the previous two editions and endured a disappointing eighth-place finish in the 2024 Olympic road race.

"This is one of the greatest achievements in Polish sport," said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. "Bad luck at the Olympics, now a bit of luck, but above all skill."

Niewiadoma's win makes her the third different winner in as many editions of the Women's Tour de France. She completed the eight-stage Tour with a total time of 24 hours, 36 minutes, and 7 seconds, narrowly ahead of Vollering. Pauliena Rooijakkers of the Netherlands finished third, just six seconds behind Vollering.

"I went through such a terrible time on that climb," said Niewiadoma. "I hated everything, and then, getting to the finish line and realizing I'd won the Tour de France was just crazy! It's overwhelming."

Tags: #WomensTourdeFrance, #KatarzynaNiewiadoma, #DemiVollering, #CanyonSRAM, #AlpeDHuez