Latest news with #SarahGigante
ABC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Australia's Sarah Gigante claims Queen of the Mountains jersey and finishes third overall at Giro d'Italia Donne
Australian 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. "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 compatriot Neve Bradbury, who also finished third in the 2024 event, and joins Amanda Spratt (third in 2018 and 2019), Kathy Watt (second in 1994 and 3rd in 1990) and Elisabeth Hepple (second 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. The hilly route provided Gigante's key to the Queen of the Mountains blue jersey prize. She had been 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. AAP
SBS Australia
6 days ago
- Sport
- SBS Australia
'Never expected this': Australian Sarah Gigante's dream comeback after major surgery
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. "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. 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
6 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
7 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
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gigante wins stage as Longo Borghini takes overall Giro lead
Sarah Gigante won her second stage of the 2025 Women's Giro D'Italia [Getty Images] Australia's Sarah Gigante won the penultimate stage of the Women's Giro d'Italia while Elisa Longo Borghini claimed the pink jersey as the overall leader. Gigante broke away from the chasing pack on the final climb of the 150km route from Fermignano to Monte Nerone to catch stage leader Longo Borghini with three kilometres to go. Advertisement The 24-year-old then powered away to win stage seven by 45 seconds from Italy's Longo Borghini, who finished second and gained enough time to take over the race lead from Marlen Reusser. "I'm very grateful to my team - we stuck to the plan," said Gigante, whose second stage win of the 2025 Giro saw her move up to third place in the general classification. "We really wanted to try something, and winning this stage is fantastic. "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," said Gigante, who trails Longo Borghini by one minute 11 seconds overall. Advertisement "I'm still a bit far back in the general classification, but I'll give it a go tomorrow," she added. Defending champion Longo Borghini leads Swiss rider Marlen Reusser, who finished fourth on the stage, by 22 seconds. Sunday's final stage is a 130km route between Forlì and Imola. Stage seven results Sarah Gigante (Aus/AG Insurance-Soudal Team) 4hrs 44mins 14secs Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita/UAE Team ADQ) +45secs Isabella Holmgren (Can/Lidl-Trek) +1min 14secs Marlen Reusser (Swi/Movistar Team) +1min 17secs Antonia Niedermaier (Ger/Canyon/SRAM Zondacrypto) Same time Barbara Malcotti (Ita/Human Powered Health) 1min 21secs Urska Zigart (Svn/AG Insurance-Soudal Team) 1min 37secs Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned/Fenix-Deceuninck) 1min 48secs Évita Muzic (Fra/FDJ–Suez) 2mins 17secs Anna van der Breggen (Ned/Team SD Worx-Protime) 2mins 48secs General classification after stage seven
