{"id":205624,"date":"2026-06-26T14:50:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T14:50:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=205624"},"modified":"2026-06-26T14:50:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T14:50:33","slug":"ewa-zwolska-defied-her-own-expectations-at-letape-poland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2026\/06\/26\/ewa-zwolska-defied-her-own-expectations-at-letape-poland\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the Finish Line: How Ewa Zwolska Defied Her Own Expectations at L\u2019\u00c9tape Poland"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Ewa Zwolska joined The Unseen Stage, she never saw herself as a cyclist chasing a result. She was the mountain hut manager who squeezed training between exhausting workdays, the adventurer who loved long journeys more than structured workouts, and, perhaps most importantly, the Challenger who openly doubted whether she would even make it to the finish line. Months later, standing on the other side of L\u2019\u00c9tape Poland, her story is not one of perfect preparation or flawless execution. It is something much more relatable: the story of someone who achieved a goal she was never fully convinced was possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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From the very beginning, Zwolska’s expectations were modest. \u201cThe goal was to finish the race,\u201d she says. \u201cFinishing itself seemed difficult and unattainable.\u201d So uncertain was she about the outcome that she often joked about being last. \u201cI kept saying I wanted to finish last because someone has to be the last, but at the same time, I simply dreamed of reaching the finish line.\u201d<\/p>\n

That dream carried her through months of training that often felt impossible to balance with the realities of running a mountain hut. Looking back now, there are things she would change. More climbing-specific preparation tops the list. \u201cIf I were to prepare again, I would do more uphill runs during training,\u201d she says, recognising that her demanding work schedule left little room for additional cycling. Yet when race day finally arrived, something unexpected happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cI surprised myself,\u201d she admits. For much of the event, she was riding stronger than she had imagined. \u201cI was doing very well until the 60-kilometre mark.\u201d On the famous climb through Z\u0105b, she found herself overtaking other riders and maintaining a solid pace afterwards. For someone who had spent months questioning her fitness and worrying about whether she belonged on the start line, it was a powerful moment of validation. The race eventually delivered the suffering she had anticipated. \u201cThe last 40 kilometres against the wind took their toll,\u201d she says. Fatigue accumulated and every kilometre became harder. But she kept moving.<\/p>\n

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P\u0159\u00edsp\u011bvek sd\u00edlen\u00fd \u0160koda We Love Cycling (@wlcmagazine)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n