{"id":196591,"date":"2024-08-21T10:16:25","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T10:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=196591"},"modified":"2024-08-21T10:16:25","modified_gmt":"2024-08-21T10:16:25","slug":"kasia-niewiadoma-on-winning-the-2024-tour-de-france-femmes-avec-zwift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2024\/08\/21\/kasia-niewiadoma-on-winning-the-2024-tour-de-france-femmes-avec-zwift\/","title":{"rendered":"My Path to Winning the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift by Kasia Niewiadoma"},"content":{"rendered":"

To be the winner of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift feels surreal\u2014like a dream I\u2019m still trying to wrap my head around. Even though a couple of days have passed since that final climb up Alpe d\u2019Huez, the reality hasn\u2019t fully sunk in. There\u2019s an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and happiness, emotions that have been building for years as I worked tirelessly with my coach, team, and close ones. Finally, all the hard work, the near misses, and the setbacks feel validated. It\u2019s as though this victory is not just mine, but a reward for everyone who stood by me and believed in me.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This win is incredibly motivating. It\u2019s pushed me to set my sights on new goals, like the World Championship\u2019s jersey. Winning the Tour has given me a renewed belief that with patience, hard work, and just a bit of luck, anything is possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Overcoming challenges on the road to victory<\/b><\/h2>\n

Before this, I felt like I was always close but not quite there\u2014second or third place, always on the podium but never on the top step. I knew I was in the best shape possible, but something always seemed to be missing. This year, that finally changed.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is a race where countless factors influence the outcome\u2014team dynamics, rival teams\u2019 rosters, and sheer luck. This year, everything seemed to align perfectly for us. Even with the crashes in the early stages, the team never lost its spirit. Losing our teammate Elise Chabbey was a hard blow, but we never wavered from our goal. In a stage race, consistency is key. It\u2019s about working hard every single day, not losing time, and seizing opportunities to gain it. Perhaps my reputation for being consistent, always placing around the top, is what ultimately helped me claim the Maillot Jaune.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fierce competition and the hardest battle<\/b><\/h2>\n

The competition this year was intense. Every day, as we rode through the peloton, there was a palpable sense of how hard everyone was pushing. We could measure it\u2014we were all setting personal records in power and speed. That\u2019s a testament to how much this race means to everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

After seven gruelling days of racing, we faced the biggest mountains. That stage was one of the hardest, with endless elevation gain and the action starting right from the second-to-last climb. When Demi Vollering<\/a> attacked, I didn\u2019t have the legs to respond. At that moment, it felt like everything I\u2019d worked for had slipped away. All my dreams and goals seemed to vanish in a split second, which was utterly devastating.<\/span><\/p>\n

But then we hit the descent, and I managed to recover. I refuelled, rebuilt my confidence, and focused on closing the gap to Demi\u2019s group. After refuelling on the descent, I found the strength to push hard on the final climb. To be honest, it was the hardest battle I\u2019ve ever fought in my life. I was in pain for so long; it felt like it would never end. I hated every minute of it. But when I crossed the finish line and realised I had won, all the pain disappeared. All that was left was pure euphoria.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tackling Alpe d\u2019Huez<\/b><\/h2>\n

Approaching the final stages, especially Alpe d\u2019Huez, I knew it would all come down to my climbing skills. Long climbs are something I\u2019ve been working on\u2014it’s definitely still a work in progress. My coach and I had adjusted my training plan specifically for this kind of suffering. I knew that feeling was crucial, and I may have messed that up on the second-to-last climb because I hit a low point. But by the time we reached Alpe d\u2019Huez, I was focused on having enough energy to give my best.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alpe d\u2019Huez is a long climb, and pacing yourself is key. I paced myself until there were about 6 kilometres to go, knowing it would be around 25 minutes of pure suffering. At that point, my only option was pushing as hard as possible and seeing what happened. It\u2019s a super uncomfortable state to be in\u2014knowing that all you can do is give everything you have and hope it\u2019s enough. My strategy was simple: to gain time and keep the yellow jersey. I\u2019ll admit I had some doubts about whether I could keep it, but I had complete faith in my ability to push myself to the limit, so I stuck to that.<\/span><\/p>\n

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