"I do feel like I’m back, it feels great to be able to inflict the pain on the climbs" Amanda Spratt after a successful Women's Tour Down Under

Trek-Segafredo recent sign, Amanda Spratt had iliac artery endofibrosis that was diagnosed back in August 2021. The veteran Australian who was one of the best climbers in the women's races had a 2022 season that was clearly affected by the comeback she had to make after a delicate operation from a serious illness.

Fast-forward to 2023, she started very well, the season in her home country of Australia. Started with a 4th place at Bay Cycling Classic stage race, 3rd in the Nationals Road Race and now a 2nd place GC in Women's Tour Down Under, a race where she was very active and the strongest in climbing.

"I do feel like I’m back, it feels great to be able to inflict the pain on the climbs, I must admit, and I’m really looking forward to a great year ahead. It was a really serious operation, more serious than what I probably gave it credit for, really. In the end, the whole of last season was rebuilding, I never really got my form back. Signing with Trek-Segafredo was a huge boost, joining one of the best teams in the world, and that filled me with a lot of motivation. It’s been really nice to be at home for a long period of time, get a nice long solid preparation in and then come back racing”, stated Spratt to the reporters after the finish of Tour Down Under.

The 35 years old Australian climber spent 11 years of his career in the GreenEdge Cycling project team (now Jayco-AIUla), being Trek-Segafredo her only second team in a career that already passes a decade. Her change of team seems to be a source of new motivation for her, but Spratt is still grateful for her previous team, specially on the way they handled her illness situation.

“ I really have to give credit to my previous team, GreenEdge Cycling, they were absolutely amazing, supporting me through that whole period, the doctors especially, making sure I got the best medical care. I’m really happy that I switched teams, but I’m still really grateful to everyone at GreenEdge. This second place feels like a victory for me. I’ll celebrate with them for a little, and I’ll celebrate with my new team as well”, commented Spratt.

Amanda Spratt did an impressive Women's Tour Down Under, performance, make 2 strong attacks on the most difficult stages that made her clearly the rider with better shape for the climbs there. Still, the attacks eventually went short since she on stage 2 was caught by a selective group and in stage 3 was caught by Grace Brown who beat her in a 1 on 1 sprint at the finish line.

“They keep making these finish lines about one kilometer further than I want. But that’s how it is. My team rode perfectly, we had a plan, I knew where I wanted to go on the Corkscrew, and my team set me up so well once again. I attacked where I wanted to, and I knew I needed a good gap on Grace. It’s never nice when you hear that Grace is the one chasing you. I knew her strength would be that downhill and the flat until the finish, I gave everything I had, I didn’t finish with anything left, I have no regrets really. I’m just so pleased and thankful to my team for supporting me here” she said about her race situation.

After this strong start to the season in her home country races, Spratt revealed her next steps, “I’m heading back to Europe after Cadel’s Road Race, starting with the Vuelta CV Feminas. Certainly I want to be in good shape around the Ardennes classics, the women’s Vuelta, and I’d really like to perform well at the Tour de France. Mostly, I’m just really pumped to be racing with people like Elisa Longo Borghini and Lizzie Deignan getting my form back and playing the game with them, that gives me a lot of excitement. What I love about cycling is the tactical game and what you can do with the numbers there” she concluded.