Speed dreams
By far one of the most stylish, and technically gifted riders in the peloton, certain elements of speed come naturally to Niewiadoma:
“When I think of speed I think of descending,” she says. “I think of choosing perfect lines and not losing speed by braking in the wrong moments. That’s what I love most about the Aeroad. It always feels very comfortable descending.”
She recognises that there are plenty of advantages to be had in being so at one with her bike:
“When there is a hard stage with plenty of descending, if you can use that moment for recovery and let your muscles recover you can gain a lot of speed while going up the next climb. I see a lot of my competitors struggling with their ‘flow’ while descending. They tense up and don't recover for the next climbs. If you’re at one with your bike, and it dances with you, you have a real advantage.”
One such upcoming race where the CANYON//SRAM Racing rider could use her descending skills to recover is the final stage of this year’s Tour de France Femmes. The peloton will race up the Col du Glandon before swooping down and tackling the mythical Alpe d’Huez.
It will be a sensational finale to the race, and Niewiadoma has her speed dream firmly set on the mountain: “I want to win up Alpe d’Huez. I want my name written on one of the hairpins on the climbs.”
