Sarah Gigante’s season has come to a sudden halt after a training crash left her with a broken femur. The Australian underwent surgery soon after the incident and has already begun her recovery, though the injury means she will miss the World Championships in Rwanda and the late-season Italian races she had been targeting.
Reflecting on the crash in an Instagram post, Gigante described the setback with her usual mix of honesty and humour. “My short but sweet stint as Sarah 3.0 was pretty good, so I figured the next step was to level up to Sarah 4.0….I’m super disappointed to have broken my femur in training on Thursday (ouch 😫), but the operation went very well and I’m already counting down until I can eventually ride again.
I was so looking forward to hopefully representing Australia at a hilly World Champs in Rwanda and to then finish off my season in Italy, but at least the four races I did this year were all great ones…and I sure know how to nail a comeback! For now, it’s time for some R & R and working on my mental resilience even more. 😛
Thanks everyone for the support, especially my friend Monty for waiting 2.5 hours with me roadside without mobile reception (sorry if your hand is still numb from me gripping it so tightly), my team, Dr Teramo, Rory, Jamie and my mum. I have the best support! 🙏”
The injury interrupts what had been her best season to date. At the Giro d’Italia Women, Gigante stormed to two stage wins and claimed the queen of the mountains jersey, displaying her climbing dominance across multiple days.
That form carried into July, where she finished 6th overall at the Tour de France Femmes, once again showing she can compete consistently at the very highest level. Her climbing almost took her to a podium spot but one descent saw her fall back from the GC group and she was unable to recover.
Photo Credit: GettyHer campaign had already begun later than expected after iliac artery surgery at the start of the year, but the 24-year-old returned to racing stronger than ever. Her ability to turn setbacks into platforms for growth has been a defining feature of her career so far, and it is a trait she will need once again.
For now, her focus turns to recovery and rehabilitation. Given her track record of bouncing back, few would bet against Sarah Gigante making another successful return to the peloton.
