Niewiadoma-Phinney is more confident than ever: ‘Once you’re good and happy, impossible doesn’t exist’

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney has declared herself "more confident than ever" ahead of the Vuelta Femenina, just one week after concluding what she described as the best spring campaign of her career. The Canyon-SRAM rider, fresh off a dominant victory at La Flèche Wallonne and a podium finish at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, arrives in Valencia with palpable self-belief, stating her readiness to contest the Spanish Grand Tour. This follows a consistent run of form that has seen her consistently at the sharp end of the biggest races.

This surge in confidence is particularly noteworthy given Niewiadoma-Phinney's career trajectory, often marked by strong performances but a scarcity of truly dominant wins until recently. Her Flèche Wallonne triumph, a classic she had previously finished second in three times, finally broke a significant drought and appears to have unlocked a new level of mental fortitude. For a rider long considered a perennial contender, this newfound belief, coupled with peak physical condition, positions her as a genuine threat for overall victory at the Vuelta, a race where consistency and tactical acumen are paramount.

After years of being 'almost there,' Niewiadoma-Phinney's recent breakthrough suggests that sometimes, all it takes is one big win to truly believe the impossible is, in fact, merely improbable.