Tour de France winner Kasia Niewiadoma elaborated on the apparent stress between her and defending champion Demi Vollering after the ultimate stage of this 12 months’s race, which Niewiadoma gained by a slim four-second margin over the SD Worx-Protime star throughout an look at Rouler Reside this week.
Niewiadoma took over the race lead when Vollering was caught up in a mass crash in a flip with 6.3km to go on stage 5 to Amnéville. Vollering led Niewiadoma by 34 seconds earlier than the stage however misplaced 1:47 because of the crash.
On the ultimate stage 8 to the summit of Alpe d’Huez, Vollering soloed to the stage win however was 4 seconds in need of unseating Niewiadoma, who took house the general victory.
Vollering was visibly distraught following the race after dropping the Tour de France within the closest margin in historical past and Niewiadoma described the uncomfortable second she met Vollering within the dressing space to vary for the rostrum.
“I like barged in there … tremendous glad, able to have fun. And there was a funeral vibe in there,” Niewiadoma recalled. “I appeared on the faces and I see Demi – nobody is speaking. And I am like, ‘Good job, ladies. Congratulations on a tough stage’. After which, no response. I used to be like, ‘OK, I am leaving’. So, yeah, I received modified outdoors.”
Niewiadoma stated she felt that some bitterness was directed towards her due to Vollering’s crash that moved her into the maillot jaune. “I used to be stunned that I managed to try this, but it surely was a bittersweet second, as a result of, I might see my workforce being so glad, and plenty of associates have been celebrating, but I might additionally really feel this bitterness from Demi, from SD Worx, or Demi’s followers,” Niewiadoma stated.
“It felt bizarre in some methods as a result of none of us crashed her. The entire stage was very hectic, and it was about positioning the entire day. Crashes occur – no one’s indignant at Remco [Evenepoel] for being third throughout the Tour de France as a result of [Primož] Roglič crashed – there are moments that occur like this on a regular basis.
“I feel it is about how individuals deal with it – I additionally suppose that it is all in some methods about life and the way karma comes again to you,” she stated, pausing for laughter within the crowd earlier than explaining additional. “Annemiek crashed on the final stage of the primary Tour de France version and SD Worx was the workforce to journey full fuel to drop her.
“Nobody remembers that as a result of Annemiek really chased us again after which she attacked us. I bear in mind each race very vividly. So it appears like, the Tour de France was this good show of how generally, all the celebrities simply need to align. And in addition to being robust, it’s important to be fortunate.”
Niewiadoma added that she tries to keep away from any form of battle and has respect for her rivals win or lose. “I additionally do respect Demi, but, I undoubtedly received a bizarre vibe from her, and once more, I did not crash her. So I feel it is perhaps as a result of we’re totally different. I wasn’t in search of drama. I wasn’t in search of any form of psychological sport together with her in the direction of the top of the Tour, as a result of to me, all that mattered was, is my workforce within the yellow jersey?”
