One of the more prominent faces in the women’s peloton this season is Kasia Niewiadoma. All through the spring, she showed her excellent form, although this has, unfortunately, not always been reflected in a high ranking. This coming Sunday, our Polish rider has her heart set to shine in the Tour of Flanders, improving on her top 10 from last year.
How is your form now?
“Last winter, I moved to Girona in Spain where the training conditions and possibilities are ideal. I’m glad to say that my preparation and efforts done during the winter with my coach were successful. I can now reap the benefits as I feel my good shape for every race, also for the Tour of Flanders which is only a couple of days away. I feel energetic and am ready for this beautiful race.”
What does the Tour of Flanders mean to you?
“It is obvious that the Tour of Flanders lives amongst the people in Flanders. It is more than a regular bike race. I have even been told that some people go to the hairdresser, especially for the race …. You could say it is some sort of a national holiday. The whole country is on the move to celebrate it. There is a special feeling to be part of this. The Tour of Flanders is therefore a very iconic race and I assume every rider in the world dreams of winning it, no matter where they are from. Obviously, to win this challenging race, you need to have very good legs with a fighting spirit and winner’s mentality. In addition, you would need a strong team and a fair dose of luck.”
The Tour of Flanders will be broadcasted live on Belgian television (Sporza). What do you think this means for the development of our sport?
“Much appreciation to the people who were able to pull this off, even though it looked like there would not be any live coverage as opposed to last year. We do our utmost best to ensure attractive and exciting races for the public. I think I’m not exaggerating when I say that, so far, we have not seen any boring ones! Television is one of the most efficient ways to show the efforts we put in our sport and to promote it. I have noticed during the past year that, when a race was televised, I got many reactions of people who were impressed by the female riders and their tenacity.”
What kind of race do you expect and what are your ambitions?
“I expect an aggressive race in which every rider will fight for her position from the start. As I recall from the last 2 years, each point in the race can be a decisive one. You need to be constantly attentive and on the alert. Everything hinges on how the peloton or a small group will react to moves and breakaways. However, in my opinion, the hardest battle and main challenge will take place on the Oude Kwarement. It’s a climb that suits me well. It’s a beautiful one as well, with so many people enthusiastically cheering on the side.”
Following the women, we get an extra treat, namely the finish of the men’s race. What is your prediction for the podium?
“Hmm... I know that Sagan is currently the strongest rider. Of course, the others in the peloton know this, so everybody keeps an eye on him and will not give him a lot of space and opportunity. On the other hand, Greg Van Avermaet has been proven his excellent form. I don’t have a crystal ball, but my guess is Van Avermaet wins ahead of Peter Sagan and Niki Terpstra.”
