"In January I couldn't even ride a bike” - Sarah Gigante emotional after sealing second on Madeleine

With one stage left in the 2025 Tour de France Femmes, Sarah Gigante is poised to secure a podium finish after a gutsy ride on stage 8 to the summit of the Col de la Madeleine. The stage belonged to Visma’s Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, who put in a blistering solo performance to take the win and looks set to claim the Maillot Jaune in Paris. But behind her, Gigante delivered a ride just as moving, one built on determination, team loyalty, and a career that only months ago looked uncertain.

At 11km to go, it was Kim Le Court who made the decisive move for AG Insurance - Soudal, pulling over and handing the baton to her teammate. “Oh my god, to see the yellow jersey sacrifice itself for me like that is unbelievable. That was absolutely Kim's own choice,” Gigante said.

“In the meeting this morning, she indicated she wanted to ride her own race, but I think halfway through the stage she decided to sacrifice herself for me. Even before her crash, she went to the team car for me and waited for me after the descents.”

When Gigante launched, only Ferrand-Prevot could follow. The two quickly bridged to Marion Bunel from the early break. Bunel, another French talent, helped pace Ferrand-Prevot before dropping off with 8.5km to go. Gigante too was distanced shortly after, as Ferrand-Prevot surged ahead toward victory. Still, Gigante held her own, finishing second on one of the toughest climbs of the race and putting serious time into the likes of Demi Vollering and Katarzyna Niewiadoma, both over three minutes behind.

"In January, I couldn't even ride a bike. To then finish second on the Col de la Madeleine behind an Olympic champion is incredible," Gigante reflected. She revealed that she underwent surgery in the winter for a narrowed femoral artery, a condition that had affected her performance in previous seasons.

"I really dreamed of winning the stage, and my team worked so hard for me, but ultimately I'm happy with second place," she told Wielerflits. "Pauline was simply stronger. I haven't seen her yet, but hats off."

Gigante’s emotion was raw at the finish. “It’s very special, to come second is so amazing. It feels surreal, and I owe it entirely to my team. I really love them,” she said tearfully. She acknowledged ongoing struggles with her descending, often criticized by fans online, but wasn’t letting that take away from what she’d just achieved.

“I still have a lot to work on my descent, and I get a lot of negative feedback about it. Even though I try not to look at it, people message me about it. I might not be the best descender, but finishing second here is pretty cool,” she smiled.

Heading into the final stage, Gigante is second on GC, 2:37 behind Ferrand-Prevot and with a comfortable gap over third-placed Vollering. A podium now looks all but certain, and for Gigante, whose 2025 season started in a hospital bed, it would be the most unlikely and emotional conclusion to the year.