Niewiadoma, “tired and impressed” after her victory on Mont Ventoux

Polish cyclist Kasia Niewiadoma (CANYON) declared that she was “tired and impressed” after winning the seventh stage of the women’s Tour de France, 146.8 kilometers long, between La Voulte-sur-Rhône and the feared climb to Mont Ventoux, a victory that helped her take the yellow jersey.

“It is difficult to describe what I feel, I am speechless. I feel very grateful. This victory goes to so many people who are with me. I am so tired and impressed with what has happened. I looked to the right and I saw my parents, my father crying, it was a surprise visit and I wanted to make them feel proud. Thanks to my team, who knows how much effort I have put into this victory. I am impressed,” she acknowledged.

The Pole attacked when there were still 10 kilometers left to climb Ventoux, she separated from Marlen Reusser (Movistar) and Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) and reached the finish line with 1:16 ahead of the Dutchwoman and 1:46 over the Swiss, who arrived exhausted in the last meters and was surpassed almost under the final banner by Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE).

She explained that her idea was “that she needed to arrive alone with 6 kilometers to go”, to take advantage of the vegetation cover before the classic lunar landscape of the top of Ventoux.

Niewiadoma took advantage of the lack of collaboration between Reusser and Vollering, who were monitoring each other. It helped her to overcome the 1:17 that separated her from the Swiss in the general classification and wear the yellow jersey, with 15 seconds over Vollering and 39 over Reusser.

It is the first stage victory in a grand tour for Niewiadoma, who, despite winning the general classification of the 2024 Tour, had never raised his arms at the finish line.

“I have never gone for victory just to win, but for the beautiful feeling. I wanted to have the pure joy of racing here. Riding is great, you can go wherever you want,” he concluded.

Blasi: “I have taken a weight off my shoulders

For her part, the Catalan Paula Blasi, fifth at the finish line, positively evaluated a very hard day in which she gained several positions in the general classification until reaching seventh place. “I have taken a very big weight off my shoulders. These first few days I have suffered because of the position and I had lost confidence in myself. There had been a very big fuss with the comments from off the road, but I have managed it as best I could and now I am calmer,” she said about the criticism of the UAE’s initial approach in the Tour, with the Italian Elisa Longo Borghini and Blasi herself at the center of the controversy over the choice of the former as the theoretical leader of the ranks for the race.