PRESS CONFERENCE | "I could feel that I was the strongest on the climbs" - Niamh Fisher-Black laments not winning world title in Rwanda

Niamh Fisher-Black has been a very active rider for several years in the women's peloton, but has taken a step up this year with Lidl-Trek after getting more independence and leadership after her departure from Team SD Worx - ProTime. A few media outlets including CyclingUpToDate questioned the Kiwi rider on what has changed in 2025, and what to look forward to in 2026.

The New Zealand native was rather nervous at the conference room at the team's hotel in Dénia, a combination between a reserved personality and perhaps the rise into stardom that was rather recent. A former Giro Donne stage winner, the 25-year old is not new to the spotlight, but this upcoming season she is perhaps the most important figure in the German team.

This summer she rode to an impressive fifth place at the Tour de France Femmes, putting on a stellar display in the final two mountain stages to climb up the overall classification significantly and finish amongst the best. She was also in the Top10 of Strade Bianche Donne, Flèche Wallone, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Vuelta Femenina and the Tour de Suisse, making it an incredibly constant year, where she learnt how to become a leader.

In September she was close to yet another breakthrough, as the trilling Kigali World Championships saw an early group of attackers outsmart the main favourites for the day. Fisher-Black felt like on the climbs she was the strongest in the group, but explained why she believes she was defeated by Magdeleine Vallieres.

Yeah, I imagined it, yes. Actually, I could feel that I was the strongest on the climbs. For sure I imagined it, I was quite confident, but there was one stronger than me.

Yeah, she took the one place where she probably could be better than me, which was super... I mean, that's what she had to do. She was stronger on the cobbles. I mean, that's a hard place for me because I'm such a small, light rider. And I just couldn't... In that moment I just couldn't jump with her. That's the problem, yeah.

Nevertheless, it was a bit of a breakthrough year at the Tour de France. You also had a great performance. Do you think that you can already improve on it this year?

Yeah, for sure. I look back and I think more... Rather than my performances, I'm proud of how I sort of grew into my character this year and my confidence as a rider. And I think if I can carry that on to the next races, then for me that's quite motivating. So I hope to take another step next year.

It's not a loss. I mean, yes, there is a sting of disappointment always when I think about it. But I think with something of that state, of course you're going to have that. But in hindsight, I can look back and think, yeah, it's... On that day in particular, even though I was confident before my season in form, on that day in particular, I probably didn't expect actually that I would be in that position. And that's almost why I raced like I did. Because I sort of raced like I had nothing to lose, because I didn't really think that I had all the pieces in place to, I guess, pull it off. If it was a normal race that day. So I guess I can also look back and think, yeah, that was also a nice position to be in.

Yeah, I have to say it's... It's something a little bit that I had to change from my side. And I guess, yeah, I was saying before, my character and sort of the confidence I had in myself as a rider. I think the margin between being a top rider in the peloton and being a winner, it's so small. It's taking care of things. I would almost say I grew up a little bit this year. I grew into the big change into a new team.

It opened my eyes a bit to new characters and a new sense of belief in me from the team. And I really like who they built me up to be, I guess. They helped me take a different perspective, I guess, on races and maybe did it easier on myself. Being more confident, I guess. I think also from the girls on the team, they've had the patience with me. Obviously, I didn't come in as a natural leader. I'm generally, I think, quite a reserved person. So it has been stepping a little bit out of my comfort zone. Going into races with the team saying 'ok we ride for Niamh today' and I have some super strong riders behind me. So it's also up to me to make sure that I'm fulfilling that position, I guess. But yeah, I'm also proud of the step that I've taken this year. And that's just without looking at it all.

Yeah, maybe you could say that. But in the end, it always had to come from me, you know, that next step. And yeah, maybe that's where the change was probably such a really good thing for me at the point of my career. To sort of push me out of that comfort zone.

I think I would argue I still could be a lot better. I still need to take some steps. But yeah, for sure. I'm more confident now that I can compete with the best where I can see myself there. And I think that is a nice feeling. And what I can do is that. And the racing and the training is also something different. Yeah.

It took some time, for sure. I think. Yeah, I started to feel it come and then you have a setback and you start to fall back into like the old ways. But I think that's where the team really helped me. They just sort of took me inside and said like, yeah, I mean, we can just look at what we can do better. And then from there I just kept sort of improving with that. And I think the Tour was a rocky week for us all, for the whole team. And then I think it was really cool how in the last few days we turned it around. And I think that had a big impact on me, seeing what you can do if you just race, you know. The little track changed quite a lot last year. And you know, there were quite a few big figures leaving and there was a bit more of a transition year.

Yes and no. No, I think it has been difficult in a sense for this team this year that it's been such a transition year. I mean, I think people easily forget that this is a team sport. And what you do with, how you build a team, it takes time. And we knew that was something that we maybe weren't going to get straight away, you know. And yeah, but then again, as you say, it was refreshing to come into a team where there was no in-built hierarchy or this person is the leader or something. We really could find that with each other and find the balance of that. Yeah, so I think that was sort of, it made my transition to the team easier in a sense anyway. Well, I don't know, I have nothing to compare it to, but for me it was a really nice change up.

Yeah, for sure. I think there will be another big change next year without Ellen [van Dijk] and without Lizzie. I think they were two strong pillars in the team. But I'm pretty sure we have some pretty quality riders to fill this year's, next year. And to make sure that we keep that sort of team cohesion going. And the new riders also, I can already tell they fit in really well. So yeah, I think it is only going to progress more. It's not like we will go back to the beginning game. It's just becoming more and more.

Yeah, I hope to go back to the Tour. I don't know exactly my plan yet. But so far what I've seen of the course, it's really exciting to me. And there's an added challenge of the time trial. But it's a chance to develop myself a bit more I guess and see what I can do. Yeah, we'll see how it goes with the team goals. But yeah, of course I would love to be there. It's a really great race.

A little bit, especially at the beginning of the season a little bit. But yeah, actually I think tomorrow I'm going to sit down with the races. But yeah. But I won't be starting in Down Under. I will have a slightly later start this year. Maybe UAE or something.

Yeah, I mean it was, I would say really different from my last team. It's a much bigger group and bigger organization. And also the professionalism by the team is like, I think the best you can get. Sometimes I was really like, I didn't think I deserved all the support that I get here. And I think that's been the biggest thing this year. I think in the beginning I put so much pressure on myself. Because I was like 'oh my gosh, I have to give back to this team'. But then I realized, yeah, we're all in it together. And it's not helping anyone if I put that pressure on myself. Of course I want to pay this team back at some point. Because it's amazing what they do for us.

Yeah, I cannot say one person. For sure the sports directors are the closest. But also just as much my teammates and the riders. Yeah, I think in the end they're who I look to the most. Because they're also the ones that I take inspiration from. And I also believe they were such strong riders in their own right. So yeah, if they believe I can do something and they see it on the road, then that means the most to me, I think.

Yeah, I think me and my brother are quite close in that aspect. The reality is that high performance sport is not an easy thing. There are highs and lows and we both know that by now. And we also both live in foreign countries. So I think he is my main sounding board for advice. And I hope he could say the same. But yeah, I think actually there's probably more ones. I trust very much what my brother says. Especially for any advice in cycling. Actually, most things I will ask him about. So it's nice to have him.