"I don't make things up" - Niewiadoma reinforces strong stance against FDJ tactics in Nice
CyclingSunday, 09 August 2026 at 17:00
At the start of stage 9 of the Tour de France Femmes, Katarzyna Niewiadoma and Demi Vollering were asked about details and their opinions on the incident that might have marked the 2026 race. With a fresh and clear mind, Niewiadoma reaffirmed her stance on what happened.
Niewiadoma tackles FDJ tactics, the day after
“There was a lot of frustration after the stage, but when I look back now, I can’t change anything about the past. I can only focus on what is yet to come," the Polish rider said in a pre-race interview. Now away from the yellow jersey, the Canyon//SRAM rider will have to overcome the loss of this Saturday's stage.
She was asked if she had changed her opinion on what she had said the day prior. She was pressued by Célia Gery on the bottom of the final climb, who then slowed down and opened the gap. In a post-race interview, the then-maillot jaune was quite emotional and spoke against the tactics used to create the gap on the steep ascent. She confronted Gery at the finish, ultimately getting ignored by the FDJ - Suez rider.
“No, I was in the race, I know how it felt. I have been racing for years, I know what works and what doesn't. I don't make things up. I expressed what I felt, and nothing has changed about that," she put forward.
“I don't want to create drama and I know that some things fuel the media, that it gets made bigger than it is. The most important thing is that Demi was very strong. It is a pleasure to compete against her, because we make each other stronger. I don't want to take anything away from her. But I just want to fight fairly with her.”
Whilst the majority of criticism fell on FDJ and their tactics, Niewiadoma herself has also been criticized on social media for her behaviour following the finish.
She believes that these are not based on logic. “People who know me know that I am not vengeful. They know that I don't like fighting. They know: if I behave in a certain way, I have reasons for it.”
The Gery-Niewiadoma incident might decide the 2026 Tour de France Femmes
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Niewiadoma aims to recover yellow jersey
On stage 9 however, it is still possible for the race to change face once again. Niewiadoma previously mad ethe difference on Mont Ventoux, and on the Col d'Èze the riders find the second longest efforts of the race.
The peloton will go up the traditional side on three occasions before tackling the harder Col des Quatre Chemins on the final lap. In this circuit, Niewiadoma could still make the difference on Vollering and recover the 8 seconds that separate the two.
“It’s going to be very tough. It has already been a difficult and hot Tour. Because it is the final stage, not only we, but also the other teams will want to go all out.”
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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Great to see Kung make a recovery. Seems like a decent dude.mij10-08-2026
- I agree with much of what you said, except the shot against Lotte. She has won 2 monuments, a GT stage, on the track, one day races and national championships. Pretty solid results. I love Demi as a rider. I can't say how I feel about her as a person as I've never met her. I feel bad for her sometimes - she is attractive, she wins, and she is fierce. That lady gives it her all on a bike and shows her emotions when it doesn't go well. She sometimes could be a more gracious loser, but I think that is the competitiveness in her. I mostly love watching her race and how hard she works. She is awesome.mij10-08-2026
- bummer for Marlenmij10-08-2026
- prior day aside, she was the strongest in the race. I think the best rider won.mij10-08-2026
- Are you going to be his shadow at the Vuelta? Hand holding and stalking him?frieders310-08-2026
- I’m glad Demi won this final with conviction and panache. Leaves no doubts after all the talk from yesterday’s stage.Pedalmasher09-08-2026
- he was 1 min behind vingegaard last year and even dropped jonas many times that year. This year hes been sick so not sure what you watch, almeida also said hes happy to ride as domestique next years. Every other teams he would be the captain but uae so stacked.miguel09-08-2026
- yeah but UAE have developed pogacar so creds to uae hes the best rider in the history now and when uae also the best team now its impossible to beat emmiguel09-08-2026
- It seems to me that Almeida is not happy in Team UAE. He’s not had luck with staying healthy and then he’s also relegated down the priority list within the team. I don’t see him renewing his contract whenever it’s up. From UAE’s perspective, he’s not performed up to his potential in a long time.
PogiFan2Day09-08-2026 - Her « own » team? Those were the people betting on and preferring Lotte who frankly, hasn’t really been up to scratch since Demi gave her the no. 1 spot.Mistermaumau09-08-2026
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