Sprinting the ultimate meters up the legendary Alpe d’Huez climb within the French Alps, Katarzyna Niewiadoma knew she needed to put all of it on the road. Having entered the ultimate stage of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes with a 1:15 hole over reigning champion Demi Vollering, the Polish rider was as near defeat as she was victory.
In the long run, she secured the celebrated yellow jersey in nail-biting style. When Niewiadoma crossed the end line after eight days and nearly 25 hours of racing, solely 4 seconds separated her and second-placed Vollering.
Vollering had initially taken the race lead by profitable the person time trial on Stage 3. Her benefit over the remainder of the peloton wasn’t meant to final: following a crash two days later, she dropped right down to eighth at 1:19 right down to new chief Niewiadoma.
Whereas Niewiadoma needed to ship 4 seconds to her rival on Stage 7, the hole was nonetheless sizable between the 2. This, in flip, arrange a memorable ultimate stage.
Some of the troublesome phases in current reminiscence, the 150 kilometers from Le Grand-Bornand to Alpe d’Huez featured 3,748 meters of elevation acquire and two climbs of the so-called “hors categorie” — the hardest utilized by the race. The ultimate 13.8 kilometers to the end went all uphill, inviting an thrilling end.
Vollering, nevertheless, didn’t intend to attend that lengthy. The 27-year-old, who had already gained the Vuelta España earlier this season, attacked on the second-to-last climb. Just one lady was in a position to observe, and it wasn’t Niewiadoma: Pauliena Rooijakkers, who had entered the day in seventh place within the common classification 1:13 on the race chief however 2 seconds forward of Vollering, was in a position to hold the wheel of her Dutch compatriot.
With Vollering main the way in which up and down the 1,923-meter Col du Glandon, the hole to Niewiadoma ballooned to nearly 1:30. Nevertheless, the cooperation between her and Rooijakkers on the next flat section was missing, which allowed the group together with the yellow jersey to make a frantic comeback.
Regardless of that, Vollering and Rooijakkers entered the preliminary slopes of the ultimate climb up 40 seconds. That benefit once more began to go up rapidly, and finally the lead began to slide from Niewiadoma’s grasp as soon as extra.
At one level, it seemed just like the three-woman battle between her, Vollering and Rooijakkers may come right down to the ten, 6 and 4 bonus seconds to be distributed on the road.
In the end, nevertheless, Vollering and Rooijakkers needed to pay the worth for attacking greater than 50 kilometers from the end: Niewiadoma began to search out her rhythm and stored the hole steady at round a minute — which might have been sufficient to carry onto the win even when she misplaced out on any bonus seconds.
On the finish, she did simply that. She nonetheless ended up victorious, although.
With Niewiadoma delivery 1:11 to Vollering, who had dropped Rooijakkers within the ultimate meters to have fun her second stage win, the race victory general went to the 29-year-old over the defending champion. It’s the greatest success of her profession, and her first win in a stage race in 5 seasons.
“The entire stage was such a loopy rollercoaster,” Niewiadoma stated. “On Alpe d’Huez I simply knew that I needed to tempo myself well, and provides my greatest within the final 5k to only minimalize the hole as a lot as attainable. And to be sincere, I misplaced religion I might nonetheless do it. After which, within the radio they have been screaming a lot within the final 2k.
“I went by means of such a horrible time on this climb. I hated all the things. To then arrive on the end line and studying that I gained the Tour de France, it’s insane. It’s so mind-blowing.”
Niewiadoma beat Vollering by 4 seconds, and Rooijakkers by 10. For comparability, the boys’s model of the Tour de France in July was determined by over six minutes, with 9:18 separating the highest three.
