Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) has been quick to test her climbing prowess on return from iliac artery endofibrosis surgery and there was no question it was a pass with flying colours. The Australian walked away from her very first day of Women’s WorldTour racing for the season at the Tour de Suisse wearing the climbers’ jersey.
“We rode a super strong race with the team,” said Gigante in an AG Insurance-Soudal media statement. “Going to the summit of the second climb we created a gap with 5 other girls, including Urška [Žigart]. At the top I could take the full amount of points, what rewarded in the red QOM jersey. I can’t wait to wear it in tomorrow’s stage.”
Gigante underwent surgery in December to address the pain inducing blood flow restrictions, training at home in Australia before returning to racing in Europe. The first time she pinned on a number with her team for 2025 was at the two-stage 2.1-ranked Tour of Norway at the end of May and then she lined up for her first top tier event on Thursday in Switzerland.
“I was excited to test my legs today,” Gigante told Cycling Pro Net. “I was a bit nervous, I had no idea how I would go but after the surgery I feel so much stronger and it was very exciting to be racing right up there with the top girls.”
Gigante had launched on the major climb of the day, the category 1 Juanpass which peaked with 65km of racing still to go. The Australian first followed an attack at 4km to go and then when the peloton chased her wheel and latched back on she went again at 3.1km from the top, this time shaking off the field. At just over 2km to go a small group including Marlen Reusser (Movistar) and Žigart bridged to Gigante at the front.
The 24-year-old Australian still collected the top mountains classification points on the summit, securing the red Queen of the Mountain jersey for the day. However, Reusser soon attacked on the descent, riding on to win the stage ahead of Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez), who came across and caught the Movistar rider on the downhill. Gigante’s teammate Žigart finished fifth among the chase group while Gigante finished in 26th among the next group to cross the line.
“When Marlen attacked I was on the front and, even knowing the technical part, she was amazing. She had so much power,” Gigante said in the interview with Cycling Pro Net after also having acknowledged that there was some disappointment that she was unable to follow and had drifted away on the descent.
“So lots of work to do there but there were some positives to take away from today as well,” said the rider who had spent a significant portion of her last block of training indoors, after dislocating a shoulder, before returning to Europe.
The second stage of racing on Friday will deliver another climbing test with 2,200m of elevation gain and three categorised climbs. Stage 3 may offer the best chance for the sprinters but then it is another solid day of ascending for the stage 4 finale.
