"An opponent like Demi motivates me to become stronger" - Kasia Niewiadoma praises Vollering as she misses out on Tour de France Femmes yellow
CyclingSunday, 09 August 2026 at 19:58
Katarzyna Niewiadoma was one of the absolute headliners of the 2026 Tour de France, the winner on Mont Ventoux but only second in the overall classification. The Polish rider has had to settle for second place in the overall classification, as her attacks on stage 9 of the Tour were not enough to overturn the fight for the yellow jersey.
Niewiadoma accepts defeat over Vollering
Canyon//SRAM began the day with a well drawn out plan, which looked to be on its way. On the second ascent of the Col d'Èze, Zoe Bäckstedt set a blistering pace that decimated the GC group. On the the third the team did not sacrifice Antonia Niedermaier, but on the final ascent the youth classification leader set up her attack.
Niewiadoma had the legs and the ambition, but against a Vollering at the top of her game, no attack pierced through the maillot jaune's armour. “An opponent like Demi motivates me to become stronger," she said in a post-race inteview.
After the very intense clashes and confrontations that followed stage 8 of the race, Niewiadoma went over to the FDJ - Suez bus to apologize for the hard statements she put out against the team.
Niewiadoma attacked Vollering on several occasions, but the legs that she had to make the difference on Mont Ventoux were not there. Vollering then herself attack Niewiadoma, who ceded over a minute at the finish line in Nice.
A second place in the end, but a strong place on the final podium and a brilliant race from start to finish. “The Tour is over, but I already want to send my coach a message about what we need to change and which points I need to work on".
Demi Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma on Col d'Èze
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Niewiadoma praises ultra-strong support at Canyon
Above all, Niewiadoma was pleased with the support she got from her team. At a time where her contract is being battled on between Canyon//SRAM and Lidl-Trek, stage 9 of the Tour might have acted as a strong point in her current team's side.
“Oh my god. I don't know if Zoe [Bäckstedt] knows this, but she is officially a climber," Niewiadoma said with a smile on her face. "She certainly made it difficult for me. It was incredible".
Whilst it was logical that the team would not sacrifice Antonia Niedermaier's white jersey for the attack, the German climber still put herself in service of Niewiadoma in the final climb of the race, risking it all as Paula Basi was hot on the GC group's case right behind.
The overall win was not achieved, but Niewiadoma was nevertheless satisfied with the final outcome in Nice. "It is so beautiful to see that the team believes in you and goes for it. It is very nice to be part of such a team," she concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- Actually Pogi doesn't need Almeida, not for the Vuelta. All Pogi needs is a continental team... and wins. Ad acta.PogiSloFans09-08-2026
- And THAT is how you win a race.RidesHills09-08-2026
- Feels like redemiption? Quite a season, congrats. Leaving SD was a very wise career move.Mistermaumau09-08-2026
- Her new team seems to appreciate her far more though. As for narcissist, I think without some kind of backup from the entourage, you’re grasping. Got any quotations from other riders?Mistermaumau09-08-2026
- of course it's against the rules. fdj should be relegatedwhkman09-08-2026
- Vollering admitting that they did it on purpose out of spite for 2 years ago, very petty. would Kasia have been able to hang on if not impeded? we'll never know. how fdj isn't relegated is a mysterywhkman09-08-2026
- Sounds like another IDT type situation. Once he has a good margin on the other GC guys, Pogi will perhaps help Torres win a stage or two.md197509-08-2026
- Kasia is better looking though and doesn't look like she macro doses testosterone like Vollering doeswhkman09-08-2026
- Apologies to Patrick L for leaving him out, he had started becoming a distant memory.Mistermaumau09-08-2026
- She is a narcissist. Her own team did not help herabstractengineer09-08-2026
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