Mike O'Connor
In a frustrating setback, Australian’s Sarah Gigante has been ruled out of this year’s Giro d’Italia Women.
The 24-year-old Australian from AG Insurance–Soudal Team delivered one of the standout performances of the 2025 Giro, finishing third overall, claiming the Queen of the Mountains jersey and helping her team to the overall team classification, while also riding to two memorable stage victories.
But what looked like a breakthrough season was cruelly interrupted after Gigante suffered a fractured femur in a training accident later in the year, forcing her to bring her 2025 campaign to an early end.
Gigante had been targeting a major return in 2026, with the UCI Road World Championships and the Italian autumn classics among her key goals.
Her 2025 results had underlined her rise as one of Australia’s brightest stage-racing talents, with podium success at the Giro and a sixth-place finish at the Tour de France Femmes.
AG Insurance–Soudal confirmed the setback when announcing its seven-rider squad for the Giro d’Italia Women, which begins on Saturday.
“Sarah Gigante impressed at last year’s Giro Women with a strong performance, finishing third overall in the general classification, winning the QOM jersey, taking the team classification together with her teammates and climbing to two stage wins,” the team said.
“She will unfortunately miss this year’s edition as she continues her recovery from a femur fracture, which still requires time and rehabilitation before a return to competition is possible.”
Few riders race with quite the same mix of attacking instinct and climbing flair as Gigante. Let’s hope she’s back to her best soon.
Mike O’Connor – A keen cyclist, runner and photographer, Mike O’Connor is the Editor of Bicycling Australia. He manages the BA website and social media, and loves promoting the achievements of Australian cyclists.
