Kasia Niewidoma takes first stage of Women's Tour with breakaway
A long range attack from the Polish rider proved to be successful enough to take victory
Escaping the peloton with around 50km to rode, Polish champion Kasia Niewidoma bagged her first Women’s WorldTour win at the Ovo Energy Women’ s Tour stage one.
As the sprinter’s teams looked at each other behind her, the 22-year-old built a lead approaching 3-30, finally winning in Kettering with just under two minutes to spare.
While the opposition squabbled over responsibility in the peloton, Niewiadoma’s WM3 Energie team were able to stay calm, allowing Marianne Vos to position herself perfectly to take second place. Boels-Dolmans’ Christine Majerus, who won on this finish in 2015, placed third.
Before Niewiadoma escaped, the stage had been fairly benign, though number of crashes had caused some withdrawals from the race. It was only on the two classified climbs and the intermediate sprints where the race came alive, especially as the sprints carried bonus seconds.
It was after the second of those sprints, in the Northamptonshire town of Oundle that Niewiadoma made her move, gaining time quickly.
Previous editions of the race have been decided by tiny margins, the first, in 2014 had the maximum time gap between first and second on general classification of 30 seconds.
Then Marianne Vos won by 30 seconds after hoovering up time in the sprints and with three stage wins. It could be that today’s winning margin of 1.47 could see Niewiadoma secure overall victory.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
“She is pretty fresh from a month off and I think she will recover from today,” Danny Stam, Boels-Dolmans’ team manger told Cycling Weekly. His team won the event last year with Lizzie Deignan and, despite their dominance in the Ardennes classics and at the Tour of California, he felt it was not down to his team to chase the Polish rider.
“There were other teams who had the chance to win the stage and I said that it is not only us to do the chase. Kasia rode extremely well and stayed out with 1.47, so it is going to be difficult to get her out of the jersey.”
All the riders had been given a pink ribbon to wear by the event’s charity Breast Cancer Care, each bearing the name of a sufferer of the disease and it was this that gave Niewiadoma extra motivation.
“I was thinking about the girl from my ribbon and I felt a lot of energy from her,” she said at the finish. “I am so happy, it was a hard time for me in recent weeks as I’ve had a small injury to my knee, so I was a little unsure of my shape.
“It was crazy because usually stages like this end in a bunch sprint and I knew there were a lot of teams who wanted to make that and I was sure they would chase me hard, but when I saw 15k to go I knew I had to go hard.”
The best British rider was Alice Barnes (Drops), who, riding on roads close to where she was brought up, finished seventh.
Thursday's’s 144.5km stage starts ad finishes in Stoke-on-Trent and takes in some tough terrain on the way, including the feared Gun Hill.
Ovo Energy Women’s Tour - Stage one Daventry to Kettering 147.5km - result
1. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) WM3 Energie 3-51-39
2. Marianne Vos (Ned) WM3 Energie at 1-42
3. Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels-Dolmans
4. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle-High5
5. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon-SRAM
6. Christina Sigaard (Den) Team Veloconcept
7. Alice Barnes (Gbr) Drops
8. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Cervélo-Bigla
9. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Lensworld-Kuota
10. Roxane Fournier (Fra) Francas des Jeux - Aquitaine Futuroscope all at same time
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Owen Rogers is an experienced journalist, covering professional cycling and specialising in women's road racing. He has followed races such as the Women's Tour and Giro d'Italia Donne, live-tweeting from Women's WorldTour events as well as providing race reports, interviews, analysis and news stories. He has also worked for race teams, to provide post race reports and communications.
-
String spokes in an ultralight package that is a blast to ride: the Berd Sparrow Gravel Wheelset reviewed
Berd impressed with its unconventional yet exceptionally light, uncommonly smooth and aero-be-damned gravel wheelset
By Sean Coffey Published
-
'It's a surreal experience' - Meet the British teenager racing with his heroes
Oli Peace is stepping up in his first pro race at the Tour of the Alps
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'I've missed races I was peaking for, but there's plenty of time to be ready': Lizzie Deignan says broken arm won't derail Olympic goals
Deignan set to lead GB team at Tour of Britain Women and target the overall win as she builds for Paris games
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I'll take time to recover then change direction': Lizzie Deignan looks to bounce back after suffering first fracture at Tour of Flanders
Deignan broke her arm during early crash in Sunday's race
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Shortened Tour of Britain Women added to UCI's 2024 calendar
Four-day event added to calendar in spot previously held by the Women’s Tour
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
‘I remember eating two pizzas and still being hungry’ - Elisa Longo Borghini on the ride that changed her
2022 Paris-Roubaix Femmes winner reflects back on her victory in the 2013 Trofeo Alfreda Binda
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Lizzie Deignan says uncertainty around Women's Tour future is 'frustrating' after promoter enters liquidation
Collapse of SweetSpot leaves race at risk of permanently vanishing
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Loss of Women's Tour would be hammer blow for peloton, Elisa Longo Borghini says
British Cycling says 'every possible effort' will be made to ensure a women's event takes place in calendar slot occupied by the Women's Tour
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Can Lizzie Deignan bag another Monument? Cycling Weekly’s big predictions for the 2024 season
It is time for our writers to look into their crystal balls and give their predictions for the season ahead
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
‘I no longer had that imposter syndrome’ - Lizzie Deignan on the ride that changed her
Lidl-Trek star looks back on a special moment at the London 2012 Olympic Games
By Tom Thewlis Published