Just when the high country town of Bright in Victoria was thronging with its yearly influx of tourists heading to ease the intensity of summer heat by jumping into the cooling waters of local streams, Sarah Gigante could be spotted out on the roads that connect some of the favoured cycling climbs of the region – Mount Buffalo, Tawonga Gap and Falls Creek – finding the ideal terrain to fuel her rebuild.
Still, while the AG Insurance-Soudal rider who broke her femur shortly after the Tour de France Femmes is now out on the roads building on the base of fitness carved out on the trainer, the rebuild is rightly taking priority. As a result, the Australian season will have to wait for another year.
"I feel good both physically and mentally, and it’s really nice to be back riding my bike outside again for already a few weeks now after the past months of rehabilitation indoors," Gigante said in a team statement.
"I’m feeling positive about the progress and excited about what’s ahead, and the plan to kick off my 2026 season in March."
The 2024 Santos Tour Down Under winner and with elite national road race and time trial titles also in her palmares, Gigante had to sit out the early season block of home racing in 2025 as she recovered from iliac artery surgery. Still, even though her season started late and finished early it was filled with stunning successes, from two stage victories and a place on the overall podium at the Giro d'Italia Women to a gutsy runner-up spot on the queen stage of the Tour de France Femmes.
The 25-year-old's goals will have to be later again this season as well, as she will still be on the sidelines when her teammates once again take on the block of racing in Gigante's backyard.
"It’s never easy," said Gigante of missing the opening races of 2026. "Especially because the Australian block is my favourite part of the season. I would have loved to race Nationals, Tour Down Under and Cadel’s, but coming back from injury means you have to respect the process.
"Together with the team and medical staff, we decided it was better to delay my return to competition and focus on being fully ready for the bigger goals later in the year. It was disappointing at first, but I’m confident this patience will pay off and allow me to come back stronger."
Gigante has, unfortunately, had more than her fair share of practice at come-backs through her career but also is adept at training her way back into top form, finding motivation in the challenges along the way. In fact she cited setting a new Strava Queen of the Mountain on the climb of Tawonga Gap in March last year as she was working back from the iliac artery surgery as a favourite moment of the 2025 season because "it was on that day I knew the operation had worked".
That was the start of one new beginning - and now another awaits.
"Last season reinforced that, even though the lows of cycling can be very harsh, with great support it’s more than possible to overcome the hard times and enjoy far sweeter ones that make the sacrifices worth it," concluded Gigante.
