If any rider can tell you about the ups and downs of professional cycling, it’s Australia’s Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal). Multiple broken bones, a bad concussion, a serious heart issue, and more recently, iliac artery surgery and a dislocated shoulder – Gigante’s had more setbacks at 24 than most will have in their entire career. But she’s also soared to great heights in the sport, and none higher than in her breakout Giro d'Italia Women last week.
Gigante was the best climber in the race, riding to victory on both of the race’s mountain-top finishes, and ending up third overall and winner of the QOM classification. It was a wonderful return to form – and indeed a new high watermark – for Gigante in only her third race for the year.
A couple days after her terrific Giro, Gigante – an Escape Collective member – took the time to talk us through the race from her perspective and what it meant to get back to winning. When we spoke, she was just back from a two-hour ride near her European base of Girona. The following Q&A has been lightly edited for clarity and fluency.
Matt de Neef: So we’re a few days post-Giro. How are you feeling, and have you caught up on all the messages of congratulations you would have received?
Sarah Gigante: Yeah, it was good that you emailed me rather than messaged on Instagram! If I try and reply to everyone on Insta, that's gonna take me like a month. It was insane the amount of support I had. I didn't reply to people in the race. It just went crazy.
Physically, it was fine, actually. I train really hard at home, so apart from not having a rest day, it was all right. Physically, I was like, 'Oh yeah, I could do this again and again and again, for three weeks', but yeah, mentally, that's where it's harder.
MdN: Has it sunk in for you yet, what you were able to achieve over the past week?
SG: Yeah, starting to, but it still seems pretty crazy. I never dreamed of that at all. It feels weird to think I got third overall and won two stages and the QOM.
MdN: Just to go back a bit, you must have been really happy with how your season started? After the surgery over the off-season, it seemed like you were in really good form from your first race day back.
SG: Yeah, exactly – that third place in [Tour of] Norway. Until a few hundred metres to go – because I had attacked solo – I actually thought, 'Oh my gosh, I'm going to win my first race back.' And OK, I didn't win – my teammate [Justine Ghekiere] won though – and I came third. And I thought 'Wow, that was, like, the perfect day.' And it was my first podium in Europe since 2022 so I was already thinking this is so good.
It was funny. Someone shared a podcast I did in January – the people that did the podcast, they reshared a snippet of it – and it said 'What's your comeback goal?' And then I just said, 'I hope to be back in five months.' I said the main goal for the season was if I can get back riding and racing pain free this year, then I'll be really happy. So I was already so happy the first day of Norway. I didn't feel very good the second day, to be honest – my backing up was not so good, but yeah.
At [Tour de] Suisse I was like 'Wow, suddenly I'm feeling really strong uphill.' I struggled in the downhill, but then I really worked on the downhills after Suisse, before the Giro. I changed my brakes so I could reach them better *laughs* so that helped a lot.
And then at the Giro, I certainly wasn't expecting to win any stages. I was hoping to do well in those two stages, but yeah, it's just crazy. And then overall, as well. I don't know. It's just so cool. I thought maybe I had a chance with the QOM jersey, but if other people weren't really going for it *laughs*.
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