"Maybe third place is like my lucky charm" - Katarzyna Niewiadoma says 4th successive Tour de France Femmes podium 'feels like a victory'

Four times Katarzyna Niewiadoma has competed at the Tour de France Femmes in her career, and in 2025, the Pole secured a fourth successive finish on the race's final podium. Although she wasn't able to replicate her heroics of 2024 and win the Maillot Jaune once again, Niewiadoma's attacking ride on the final stage on Sunday, saw her rise to finish 3rd overall.

“I’m so, so freaking happy. I cannot describe it. It’s not a victory, but hey, I feel like mentally for me it’s a victory. Because it wasn’t easy and I feel like the podium is for all of us, I guess, like a victory. So yeah, so, so, so happy to also have another podium in this race,” reflected the 30-year-old in a post-stage press release on the CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto team's official website afterwards. “Super delighted. Three times third place, maybe third place is like my lucky charm, but super happy.”

As mentioned, heading into the final stage, Niewiadoma was outside the podium places. Her hopes were dented at the foot of the Col de Joux Plane as well when she got caught up in a crash. Quickly getting back up though, Niewiadoma took the race to Sarah Gigante from there on out and the pressure told too as the Australian became distanced. “To be honest, luckily I had still adrenaline running. And I think that maybe because of the adrenaline I was not feeling so much pain," Niewiadoma recalls of her crash. "I definitely had a moment of crisis when Gigante was attacking, but I knew I just can’t not go, like there was no other option. This is the beauty of Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, in some ways you want it so much that you just don’t allow yourself to say no.”

And ultimately, it resulted in the aforementioned 4th successive podium placing. “It feels like a victory, it feels great to be honest," she concludes her post-race assessment happily. "It wasn’t easy and it hasn’t been easy so far, so I feel like getting this result and getting a proper result where I can actually show that yes, we are prepared and yes, we are here to also win the race. Today actually went perfectly as we planned. I was happy that my legs were there. I was also happy to have other girls who were eager to ride with us so yeah, beyond happy.”