Latest news with #AGInsuranceSoudal
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aussie Gigante climbs the podium at Giro d'Italia
Sarah Gigante has completed her dazzling maiden Giro d'Italia by finishing third overall and winning the Queen of the Mountains jersey as the top climber. While Italian home favourite Elisa Longo Borghini held on to her overnight lead to take the title for a second straight year, Gigante was thrilled to finish her breakthrough event, in which she won two mountain stages in four days, with a place on the podium. Better still, she produced the goods on the final hilly stage to take the Queen of the Mountains jersey as top climber, going past the overnight leader, Spain's Usoa Ostolaza. 🥉 place in GC and Maglia Azzurra as the Queen of the Mountains of the Giro d'Italia Women... @SarahGigante of @agsoudal 💙🥉 terza in classifica generale e Maglia Azzurra... Sarah Gigante della AG Insurance-Soudal 💙#GirodItaliaWomen #WonderfulWomen #WOW | @UCI_WWT — Giro d'Italia Women (@girowomen) July 13, 2025 "I can't believe how well this week went," said Gigante, who is making a remarkable comeback to the sport after surgery last year to fix the debilitating condition, Iliac artery endofibrosis. "I never expected this. My main concern was just being able to compete again without pain." The 24-year-old follows her countrywoman Neve Bradbury, who also finished third in the 2024 event, and joins Amanda Spratt (3rd in 2018 and 2019), Kathryn Watt (2nd in 1994 and 3rd in 1990) and Elisabeth Hepple (2nd in the inaugural 1988 event) in the Giro's Australian roll of honour. After taking the race lead off Marlen Reusser on the penultimate stage, Longo Borghini successfully defended the pink jersey on the final 134km stage eight from Forlì to Imola, finishing fourth behind her Swiss rival on the day. Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) ended up victorious by 18 seconds ahead of Movistar's Reusser, with Gigante unable to make any inroads into the champion's overnight lead of 71 seconds over the Melbourne rider. The stage was won by Movistar's Liane Lippert, who beat Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) in a two-up sprint at the famous Imola racetrack, the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, after the pair had escaped from a group of a dozen riders, including Gigante, in the last 3km. 🇮🇹💕#GirodItaliaWomen ¡Una semana para recordar!@MarlenReusser finaliza 2° en la general tras una última etapa exigente en el circuito de Giro que cerramos con:🏆 3 victorias de etapa🥈 2° puesto en la general individual✨ Y un trabajo de equipo espectacular… — Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) July 13, 2025 The hilly route provided Gigante's key to the Queen of the Mountains blue jersey prize. She had been lying one point behind Ostolaza overnight, but won the first mountain sprint in Monticino to regain a lead that she wasn't about to relinquish. Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) then went on a solo breakaway to win an intermediate sprint and seal her points classification victory. "It's been an incredible Giro - for me and for the team. The last eight days were full gas: we had a common goal, and we achieved it," Longo Borghini said.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Queen of the Giro mountains: Aussie Gigante wins again
Australian cycling star Sarah Gigante has won a second stage in her dream Giro d'Italia week to move into a podium spot -- and she's not ruled out a dramatic last-day triumph in the great race. Just three days after the recording the biggest win of her flourishing career in the mountainous fourth stage, the 24-year from Melbourne pulled off an even more remarkable win in the penultimate seventh stage in the Umbrian Apennines on Saturday. It shot the euphoric Gigante into third position in the overall standings, just one minute 11 seconds adrift of Italian race leader Elisa Longo Borghini, who took the pink jersey off Swiss Marlen Reusser by 22 seconds. 🎙️ check out the post-race interview with the Australian Queen of Mountains @SarahGigante 🩷🎙️ guarda l'intervista con la Regina australiana delle Montagne Sarah Gigante 🩷#GirodItaliaWomen #WonderfulWomen #WOW | @agsoudal @UCI_WWT — Giro d'Italia Women (@girowomen) July 12, 2025 That's left Gigante still dreaming of an unlikely triumph after Sunday's final eighth stage, a 130km route between Forlì and Imola. "I'm still a bit far back in the general classification, but I'll give it a go tomorrow," said the AG Insurance-Soudal rider. "Obviously, will be hard to defend that lead, but we'll try." Gigante was all smiles after an interviewer suggested following her second stunning triumph -- this time in the race's most demanding 'queen stage' -- that she might now like to be called the 'princess of the mountains'. "The princess? Yeah, sure - or the queen!" she responded with a laugh. Gigante left the home fans stunned when she broke away from the pack on the final climb of the 150km route from Fermignano to Monte Nerone to catch their hero, stage leader Longo Borghini, with three kilometres to go. She then powered away to annex the stage win by 45 seconds, recording the fastest time ever by a woman rider on the Monte Nerone ascent. "I had studied the final climb and decided to attack on the steep section. I wanted to show that stage four-win wasn't just a one-off, but that I came to Italy to achieve great results," she said. 🇦🇺 a 24 years old from Melbourne, Australia, is in Italy to conquer every climb: @SarahGigante records the fastest known time on Monte Nerone 🚄🇦🇺 Sarah Gigante ha realizzato il miglior tempo di sempre sul Monte Nerone 🚄#GirodItaliaWomen #WonderfulWomen #WOW — Giro d'Italia Women (@girowomen) July 12, 2025 This exciting talent had surgery last year to fix Iliac artery endofibrosis, a debilitating condition that occurs when high blood flow and repetitive hip flexion cause the artery to narrow. Last year's Tour Down Under winner in Adelaide has snared three senior national road titles, but these four days have represented the highlight of her career. "I knew I felt really good," she said, when she decided to attack Longo Borghini. "I saw on my Garmin, there was a little flat section, and then it went steep again. "And I knew she was pretty tired after being out there a while, and I felt good -- so I went for it, although I was dying a thousand deaths in the last kilometre because it was so steep. "It's really special moving into the GC podium place," added Gigante, who had been sixth overnight and is now also lying second, just a point behind Spain's Usoa Ostolaza, in the Queen of the Mountains standings. "That's really special. It's my first year. I did the Vuelta last year, and I finished 19th, and then I was seventh on the Tour (de France). So if I can come home with third place overall this week, then I'd be very happy."
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Australian Gigante geed after giant Giro stage win
Australian cyclist Sarah Gigante is back, claiming stage four of the Giro d'Italia and confirming she is an overall contender in the race. The biggest win of the 24-year-old's career comes after major surgery in December that forced Gigante off the bike for several months and delayed her start to the season. Advertisement The Tokyo Olympian is one of the sport's top young talents and her exploits on the uphill finish at Pianezze showed what Gigante is capable of when fit and healthy. Gigante broke clear with 1.5km left in the 142km-fourth stage from Castello Tesino and soloed to the finish. The AG Insurance-Soudal rider finished 25 seconds ahead of Italian star Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) and Swiss ace Marlen Reusser (Movistar). With four stages left, Gigante lies third overall, only 34 seconds behind Reusser, with Longo Borghini second at 25 seconds. "I kept looking back because I couldn't believe what was happening. I'm really happy," Gigante said of her solo break at the finish. Advertisement "It's still too early to make any final predictions about the Maglia Rosa (leader's jersey). This Giro is wide open and still to be written. "I've gone through some very tough times, but now I can finally say it: 'I'm back.'" Gigante underwent surgery late last year to fix Iliac artery endofibrosis, a significant problem that has afflicted several professional cyclists, including compatriot Amanda Spratt. Gigante said the difference before and after the surgery to her riding was "night and day". The iliac arteries run through the pelvis. The condition happens when high blood flow and repetitive hip flexion cause the artery to narrow. Advertisement Even in professional cycling, where a broken collarbone is seen as an occupational hazard, having the surgery is a major step. Gigante's recovery went better than expected and she returned to racing last month at the Tour de Suisse, finishing 12th overall. She aims to compete later this month at the Tour de France, where Gigante was seventh overall a year ago. The surgery was the latest in a series of injury and health setbacks for Gigante over the past few years. Gigante won last year's Tour Down Under in Adelaide and has snared three senior national road titles.
ABC News
10-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Sarah Gigante claims Giro d'Italia Donne stage four win after six months out following surgery
Sarah Gigante has announced herself as an overall contender at the Giro d'Italia Donne with a stunning solo victory on stage four. Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) claimed victory by 25 seconds from Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team-ADQ) and Marlen Reusser (Movistar) up the punishing 10.9km, 7.4 per cent climb to Pianezze from Valdobbiadene and the first summit finish of this year's race. It is the biggest victory of the 24-year-old's career to date and comes after she spent six months out following surgery. The Australian burst away from the select group of leaders in the final 1,500m of the 142km-long stage from Castello Tesino to Pianezze. "I knew I was in good shape, but winning a stage goes beyond even my wildest dreams," Gigante said. "In the final stretch, I kept looking back — it felt too good to be true". Reusser reclaimed the Maglia Rosa (pink jersey) as the overall leader, with Longo Borghini 16 seconds down in second place on general classification. Gigante, who burst onto the scene by claiming the Australian road race title as an 18-year-old in 2019 following another fine solo break, is in third place at 34 seconds. The Aussie is also in the Maglia Azzurra (blue jersey) as leader of the Queen of the Mountains classification. Gigante, who won a stage and the overall title at the 2024 Tour Down Under and is a two-time national time trial champion, has only just returned to action following iliac artery surgery in the off season. The Victorian rider required the operation due to a thinning of the artery that transports blood down to her right leg, resulting in numbness and pain and is increasingly common in endurance athletes, particularly cyclists due to the constant flexing of the hip. Gigante had previously required treatment for myopericarditis, an enlarging of the lining of the heart, in 2021. "I had surgery on my iliac artery, then dislocated my shoulder and was out for six months," Gigante said. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. "I'm really grateful to [my team] — they believed in me even after I had surgery … I was worried I wouldn't be able to get back to my previous level, but they always lifted my spirits. "This victory is for everyone who has always stood by me." Thursday's sixth stage is a flat, 120km ride from Mirano to Monselice which will likely have little impact on the general classification. From there, the race hits the mountains until the finish at Imola on Saturday.
