"Every time I lose, I want it even more for some reason" - Katarzyna Niewiadoma compares Strade Bianche to a (healthy) addiction

Unlike the men's race with one big favourite, the Strade Bianche Donne appears to be an open race. Several riders can have sleep dreams of victory and one of them is young multi-talent Puck Pieterse.

"The Strade Bianche was my first big performance on the road ever, so the goal should just be to compete for the prizes in that race again. We will do our best in any case," Pieterse said in an interview with WielerFlits.

Two years ago, it was only Pieterse's third road competition and so nobody had any expectations from her. That won't be the case anymore on Saturday. Fourth in both races during the Opening Weekend, the best young rider of last Tour de France Femmes can't hide anymore.

"That shows that I have taken another step," Pieterse said. At Omloop she was the only rider able to keep up with Demi Vollering's acceleration in the finale. "The good thing was that we started the Muur van Geraardsbergen quite fresh, which was perhaps to my advantage to be able to follow Demi. Last year, I had to let go on the Muur, this year I could follow. I was very happy with that."

Contrary to the 22-year-old Dutchwoman, Katarzyna Niewiadoma has much deeper relationships with Strade Bianche Donne. Back in 2014, she took part in L’Eroica granfondo, the predecessor to first edition of women's Strade Bianche which followed a year later.

"I remember sitting at the announcement when they were showing the course. I just instantly fell in love because I love the steep gravel roads, the beauty, and how the race will always be hard – whether you win it or not, there’s always a massive sense of satisfaction that comes at the end," she said in a press release.

Since then, Niewiadoma finished on the podium four times in the 2016-2019 period. But she never managed to clinch the victory, instead arriving second three times in a row. In the meantime, she had become the gravel world champion instead, but the desire to raise hands on the Plazza del Campo still burns inside her.

"I think those memories from when I was super young and dreaming of winning the race have somehow stuck with me for all these years. Motivation is always there because anytime I lose, I want it even more for some reason."