She can be considered a representation of the antipodes. Raised by the sea, she soars upward. A small physique, she has enormous grit and potential. And then why? Niamh Fisher-Black really comes from the antipodesThe class of 2000 – who will turn twenty-two on August 12th – was born in Nelson, New Zealand, completely on the other side of the world compared to us, and He has a brother, Finn, one year younger who runs for the UAE Team Emirates (who is recovering from a fractured femur).
Niamh, her first name, comes from Irish mythologyThat was the name of the daughter of the god of the sea, and don't be too surprised if you read snow in brackets on her Instagram profile. It has nothing to do with the white blanket of winter. It's just the correct pronunciation of his name which comes out as “niiv”. Moreover, Niamh, again in Irish, means bright, luminous. As her future, one might say.
The young climber of the SD Worx she was the protagonist at the last Giro d'Italia Women's cyclinge (in her third participation), where she finished fifth overall and won the white jersey for the second consecutive year. We got to know her in 2019 when, as an elite rider, she left her continental borders to race. Three years ago in May he made his European debut at the Elsy Jacobs Festival in Luxembourg wearing the Torelli Sport jersey (British team), competing in other races alternating with Mike Greer Homes (New Zealand team). Then the first race in Italy in September at the Giro delle Marche in Rosa with the colors of Bigla Pro Cycling, which became Equipe Paule Ka, the team with which she achieved second place in the final stage of the Giro Donne in 2020.
Cecchini his mentor
Last year she moved to SD Worx, the powerhouse of the women's WorldTour. She was picked up and signed to a contract until 2024. They're managing her well. One of her classmates who is helping her grow the most is Elena CecchiniThe thirty-year-old from Friuli would like to race for another two years, then become a sports director. With the little New Zealander, it's as if she's doing field tests. That's exactly what happened at the Giro d'Italia.
«It doesn't surprise me that Niamh finished in the top five at the Giro Donne – Cecchini tells us – She's a very young athlete, I know where she's coming from. In the previous team he had many technical shortcomings. I remember that the first few times, when it was going downhill, I noticed these problems at a technical levelIn today's cycling, you can be strong on the climbs, but if you don't do well on the descents, and we saw this at the Giro Donne, and if you waste a lot of energy staying in position, it's obvious that you then feel the lack of that energy when you need it.
«She has improved a lot and is meticulous. – he continues – she's 100% committed and she's a girl who goes to the mechanics every other day to check on her bike. She's very professional. Her numbers are excellent. I've heard from our technicians that Niamh produces great data, among the best on our team. The thing she needs to learn, and what I'm helping her with, is not to put too much pressure on herself. At the Giro Donne, she finished fifth overall, and the four riders ahead of her, except for Marta, who is very young, are at least ten years older than her. So she has plenty of time to grow. The team renewed him immediately because they know his potential..
"It's up to her to take all the resources from the team," Cecchini concludes, "trying to improve to get where she wants. I was her mentor during the Giro, actually." I would like to have more legs to be closer to her on the hills when we run togetherI think an athlete like that on the flat should just trust her teammates and not think about anything else. She'd already be well on her way. We are happy with her placing because we will be doing most of the Giro with four athletes (Uneken and Majerus withdrawn due to covid, ed.) it was not easy».
Under the guidance of Lars
Lars Boom, her real sporting director, is also happy with her., who led the Dutch team on the Italian roads.
«Niamh's performances? We came to the Giro Donne to do the general classification with her – explains the thirty-six year old Dutch coach – but also seeing day by day trying to find the best possible result. After the stage of Cesena he was five minutes late and Cavalli, Mavi Garcia and Van Vleuten they had already defined the first three positions. At that point she tried for a long time to follow Longo Borghini for fourth place, but it was too far away. It's not a problem anyway, and that's fine. He is 21 years old, he won the white jersey for the second consecutive year, he fought for his first real general classification after last year's ninth place."
«Personally, I'm very happy for her – concludes the former Dutch pro from 2004 to 2019 – for the results we've achieved and also for the performances she's put in. We think Niamh did a really great job.She's obviously a climber, but if she improves on the downhills as much as she does on the uphills, I'm sure she'll become one of the best riders around year after year. If she gets stronger, as we hope, I believe she can return to the Giro Donne and win it in the next few years, maybe as early as 2023».
A word from the little kiwi
And what do you, Niamh Fisher-Black, say about all these opinions about you? At the start and finish of each stage he would indulge in a jokeShe seemed almost embarrassed, certainly flattered, by this attention. Yet she knew how to stay focused on her goal. With his usual smile he summed up his thoughts for us.
Niamh Fisher-Black has a contract with SD Worx until 2024 Niamh Fisher-Black was born on August 12, 2000 in Nelson, New Zealand. Fisher-Black suffers in the short time trials while in the longer and team ones it expresses itself better
Niamh Fisher-Black has a contract with SD Worx until 2024 Niamh Fisher-Black was born on August 12, 2000 in Nelson, New Zealand. Fisher-Black suffers in the short time trials while in the longer ones it performs better
"It was a really great Giro Donne for me," said the New Zealander, who in 2021 won the U23 WT classification as well as the Best Young riders Rider jerseys at the Vuelta a Burgos and Tour of Norway. "Every day I felt better and was able to fight for the overall. Getting into the top five is a great result that makes me very proud, But it was largely down to the team. If I return to the Giro Donne, I hope to be even more competitive. I thank you because you think I am the future of stage races or other hard racesThe reality is that I have to improve in many things, I'm aware of that. But with teammates like the ones I have, who are helping me in everything, it is certainly easier to grow well.».
