Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) is shivering on the top of the Col de la Madeleine, the alpine climb which crests at 2,000m and had just played host to the dramatic queen stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. But it’s not just the cold temperatures that gave the 24-year-old Australian the chills.
“Oh my gosh — to have the yellow jersey sacrifice herself for me, that is next level. That’s the kind of stuff that gives you goosebumps,” Gigante was talking about Kim Le Court’s powerful pull on the bottom of the final climb, which set Gigante’s own attack up, resulting in her finishing second on the stage and moving up to second on the general classification with one stage left.
“That was completely Kim’s choice — in the meeting this morning she had decided to do her own race to defend yellow and just to think that she chose to change her plan and work for me…. Even before her crash, she was back by the car, and then I noticed her moving me up, waiting for me on the descents. It’s really special, I am really happy,” Gigante elaborated poignantly.
She is a rider who almost doesn’t seem to believe in her own talent, that she is somehow undeserving of the amount of support given to her by her teammates. This was a rider who, only three stages ago, pulled on the front to set up Le Court’s stage win in Guéret — Le Court said herself afterwards that: “Without Gigante, I would not have done what I did today.”
It’s the way AG Insurance-Soudal have raced the entire Tour, and today was another prime example, with Le Court shredding the GC group down on the early slopes and Justine Ghekiere being a satellite rider from the break, ready to pace when Gigante caught up. It might not have won them the stage, with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Visma-Lease a bike being unmatchable, but it was an impressive, cohesive, coordinated display designed to get the most out of their leader’s best attributes — her climbing ability.
An emotional Gigante said as much: “Today was really a dream ride by the team. Other teams were putting me under pressure on the descents — all three of them — but thanks to the team, I was able to get to the base of the Madeleine with the group and feeling quite fresh.”
“To have Justine there as well…she almost dropped me she was going so fast. It was such good teamwork again, like all week. Without it I would be 15 minutes down.”
Gigante knew this was the stage where she could really make a move for the podium, the summit finish being so long and arduous. She revealed it was always part of her plan to attack early on the climb, and it proved to be the most decisive moment in the race so far with all but one rider cracking.
“I was definitely dreaming of winning this stage and my team really worked so hard for me, but I am happy with second — Pauline was just stronger,” Gigante explained.
Marked out as one to watch in the future, the 24-year-old has proven that she is a star of the peloton right now. She has overcome doubts, questions about her descending, injuries, and online haters — all in the space of a few months.
“In January, I couldn’t even ride my bike at all, I didn’t know the surgery would work and I just slowly got more and more confidence and in the Giro I realised I was actually pretty strong, but obviously I have so much work to do on the descents and I get a lot of mean messages, maybe I am not the best at descending but to come second here it’s pretty cool.”
AG Insurance have one more day, and will be looking to defend their second-place on the podium. Tactically, it’s more of the same: working together for their common goal. Gigante is on the brink of the Tour de France Femmes podium, and it’s no less than she or her squad deserves: “It’s really the best team ever, not just this week but forever, I love them so much. I hope to have a good race tomorrow and I am sure my team will be as wonderful as always.”
