Niewiadoma follows Vollering at Amstel Gold Race — and credits former Van Vleuten coach for her form

The fact that Niewiadoma was even able to race in South Limburg on Sunday was already a positive. Just over a month ago, she suffered an ugly fall in Milan-Sanremo, which she later addressed via Instagram. “As my coach said: if you don’t take risks, it’s not elite sport. I probably could have been more careful, but at the same time I wanted to take every opportunity,” she said after that crash on the descent of the Cipressa.

A few weeks later, she was back on the start line. “After the crash in San Remo, I took the time I needed to recover physically. I had to go to the physio more or less every day, but in the end I was still able to leave for an altitude camp. From there, it was mainly about doing as many hours as possible and getting the body used to the intensity again.”

Who helped her through that process? Louis Delahaije, the man who played a major role for years in Annemiek van Vleuten’s success and who is now Niewiadoma’s coach. “The fact that I’m second here now is mainly thanks to Louis. At the end of last season, I changed coaches, and I feel that was a very good decision.”

Niewiadoma is doing it in a way that will sound familiar to anyone who followed Van Vleuten’s career: long days in the mountains. “Louis prepared me for the season with a really strong foundation, and I’ve felt super good the whole time. I haven’t won yet, and it has mainly been second places, but I feel like it’s coming,” the Polish rider said.

That consistency has been one of the themes of her spring. At Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Strade Bianche, she was already among the strongest riders in the race, and in Limburg she once again proved that she can survive the decisive climbs and respond when the very best riders begin to move.

On Sunday, however, she came up just short in the Amstel Gold Race. “When Paula Blasi went, there wasn’t immediately a chase from the peloton. When the gap got bigger and bigger, we gradually realised that it was gone. I was on my own, so it wasn’t really up to me. I had to wait for the final time up the Cauberg.”

Nevertheless, she managed to go with Demi Vollering on the Cauberg. “We went up there hard, but it was still for second place. To be honest, there wasn’t much belief anymore that it could still be for the win, because Paula had already shown how strong she was by opening such a big gap. We didn’t know the exact gap, but at that point it was more a matter of hope.”

That left Niewiadoma and Vollering fighting for the minor places behind Blasi, who had already put the race out of reach. “It was still a prestige sprint. I know Demi is very fast, so I decided to anticipate a little. But of course sprinting for second place is different from sprinting for first,” Niewiadoma concluded.

The rivalry will continue almost immediately. Niewiadoma and Vollering are both expected to meet again in Huy on Wednesday and in Liège on Sunday, where the Ardennes week will offer two more chances for Niewiadoma to turn her repeated near-misses into the victory she has been threatening to take all spring.