Katarzyna Niewiadoma

Katarzyna "Kasia" Niewiadoma (born 29 September 1994) is a Polish racing cyclist, who rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam . Among her wins are the Amstel Gold Race, the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and the stage race The Women's Tour. She is a former national champion in both the road race and time trial events.

In July 2022, she was named as one of the pre-race favourites for the first edition of the Tour de France Femmes, and eventually finished third overall.

Early years

Niewiadoma started racing bikes with local club WLKS Krakus BBC Czaja and soon emerged as one of the most promising women riders in Poland. In 2013, she won two national Under-23 champion titles, finishing 4th in both the elite time-trial and elite road race. She also finished 5th in European Road Championships in the women's Under-23 road race.

Following these performances, she received an offer from professional team and became a stagiaire in August 2013. She participated in the Boels Ladies Tour, finishing 10th overall and winning the young rider classification. Niewiadoma was also selected for the UCI Road World Championships but she did not finish the elite women's race.

Professional career

2014

Niewiadoma signed a one-year contract with in October 2013 and made her debut in professional ranks in February 2014. She took her first victory four months later, winning the Swiss race GP Gippingen. Preparing for Giro d'Italia Femminile, Niewiadoma participated in the Polish National Championships, taking bronze in the elite women's time trial and finishing 8th in the road race. Her climbing abilities proved to be an asset for the team, as she worked for the final victory of Marianne Vos on the mountain stages in Italian Alps. She finished 11th overall and 3rd in the young riders classification, marking a successful debut in the biggest race of the elite women's calendar in her first year as a professional.

Niewiadoma then went on to take her first podium spot in a stage race. Together with Anna van der Breggen and Vos she dominated racing during the 1st edition of Ladies Tour of Norway and placed 3rd, winning the best young rider classification and the best climber standings. In September, she signed a two-year contract extension with the team and concluded preparations for the World Championships with a start in the Premondiale Giro della Toscana, placing 8th overall. On a hilly route in Ponferrada she led the Polish team in the women's elite road race, coming to the finish in 11th place after a sprint from the selected group.

2015

In her second year as a professional Niewiadoma shone as one of the best young riders in the peloton, giving Poland results it had never had in women's cycling. She once again demonstrated her climbing abilities with 6th place in the inaugural edition of Strade Bianche Donne and 5th in the prestigious World Cup race La Flèche Wallonne Féminine. She also took a podium spot in the Dutch race Boels Rental Hills Classic, finishing behind Lizzie Armitstead and Emma Johansson. In June she won Emakumeen Euskal Bira, a five-day stage race in the Basque Country, and won silver in the elite women's road race at the European Games.

Despite being only 21, Niewiadoma started the season's biggest race – the Giro Rosa – as one of 's leaders. She quickly assumed the lead of the young rider classification and held on to the top places on the mountain stages. She then clocked the fifth-fastest time on the demanding route of stage 8, a time trial, and climbed up to 4th overall with just one mountaintop finish to go. The long climb to San Domenico di Varzo proved decisive and Niewiadoma crossed the line in 7th, finishing 5th overall, winning the white jersey for best young rider and celebrating Anna van der Breggen's overall success. With those results under her belt Niewiadoma led the Polish national team at the European Road Championships in Tartu and took gold in the women's under-23 road race, bridging to the leading group on the last lap and claiming the sprint ahead of Italy's Ilaria Sanguineti and fellow rider Thalita de Jong. She concluded the season at the World Championships in Richmond, being a part of a squad that secured bronze in the team time trial event. She also led the Polish team in the elite women's road race and sprinted to 7th place.

Major results

;2011
: Klomnice
::1st Road race
::9th Time trial
: UEC European Junior Road Championships
::8th Road race
::10th Time trial
;2012
: 2nd Time trial, National Junior Road Championships
: Klomnice
::7th Time trial
::8th Road race
;2013
: 1st National Hill Climb Championships
: 2nd Overall Langenloiser Radrenntage (ARBO Cup)
: Klomnice
::3rd Road race
::3rd Time trial
: National Road Championships
::4th Road race
::4th Time trial
: 4th Overall Górski Walbrzyski Wyscig Kolarski
: 4th Cup of Poland – Postomino (ITT)
: 5th Road race, UEC European Under-23 Road Championships
: 7th Overall Tour de Feminin – O cenu Ceského Švýcarska
: 10th Overall Holland Ladies Tour
::1st Young rider classification
;2014
: 1st GP du Canton d'Argovie
: 1st Frauen Prolog Grand Prix Gippingen
: National Road Championships
::3rd Time trial
::8th Road race
: 3rd Overall Ladies Tour of Norway
::1st Mountains classification
::1st Young rider classification
: 8th Overall Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile — Memorial Michela Fanini
: 8th Overall Holland Ladies Tour
: 9th Omloop van het Hageland
;2015
: UEC European Under-23 Road Championships
::1st Road race
::5th Time trial
: 1st Overall Emakumeen Euskal Bira
::1st Mountains classification
: 2nd Road race, European Games
: National Road Championships
::2nd Time trial
::4th Road race
: 2nd Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria
: UCI Road World Championships
::3rd Team time trial
::7th Road race
: 3rd Holland Hills Classic
: 5th Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
::1st Young rider classification
: 5th Overall Belgium Tour
: 5th La Flèche Wallonne
: 6th Strade Bianche
;2016
: UEC European Road Championships
::1st Under-23 road race
::2nd Road race
: National Road Championships
::1st Road race
::1st Time trial
: 1st Young rider classification UCI Women's World Tour
: 1st Overall Festival Luxembourgeois du cyclisme féminin Elsy Jacobs
::1st Young rider classification
::1st Stage 2
: 1st Overall Giro del Trentino Alto Adige-Südtirol
::1st Mountains classification
::1st Young rider classification
::1st Stages 1 & 2a ( TTT)
: 1st Ronde van Gelderland
: 2nd Strade Bianche
: 4th GP de Plouay – Bretagne
: 4th La Flèche Wallonne
: 5th Overall Holland Ladies Tour
::1st Points classification
::1st Young rider classification
::1st Stages 3 & 6
: 6th Road race, Olympic Games
: 7th Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
::1st Young rider classification
: 7th Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio
: 8th Giro dell'Emilia Internazionale Donne Elite

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