Niewiadoma has mixed feelings finishing second to Vollering again: 'I lost the rainbow jersey'

Vollering pulled ahead of Niewiadoma with 40 kilometers to go, but she was caught again by a chasing group. In the final stretch, the two top riders faced off, and it came down to a two-way sprint in Montréal. There, Vollering proved too strong for Niewiadoma, relegating her to second place—just as she had done in the Tour de France Femmes and the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

"It's amazing to be part of a World Championship final like this," Niewiadoma begins in an interview with Cycling Pro Net, before letting out a sigh. “In a way, it sums up my entire season. It was a great season; together with my coach, I’ve always been able to make progress, which gives me confidence for the years ahead. Sometimes it’s less about physical progress and more about the mental aspect. I’m very happy about that.”

The Polish rider tried to break away from Vollering in the final, but a sprint was inevitable. And she’s usually not the fastest in a sprint. “I wasn’t thinking at all—I just went full throttle. I know I can finish strong, and I just had to be patient. I did my best, but Demi was the fastest today—she’s super fast. But I’m glad I closed the gap a little; I’ve gotten closer.”

So there are plenty of positives to take away from a hard-fought silver medal. The 31-year-old Niewiadoma is looking ahead to the upcoming world championships, but for now, the disappointment will linger. “It’s positive for the future, but not right now because I lost the rainbow jersey. But I’ll keep fighting and believing that it will happen.”