Tour Down Under winner set to miss next year's race after medical diagnosis: "This time has been a real struggle for me"

Australian cyclist Sarah Gigante has announced that she will be sidelined for several months following surgery to treat iliac artery endofibrosis. The 24-year-old, a two-time Australian time trial champion and winner of the Women’s Tour Down Under earlier this year, shared the news on social media, revealing the struggles she faced before her diagnosis.

“Coming into the Aussie summer is usually my favourite period of the whole year, but this time it has been a real struggle for me, both mentally and physically,” Gigante said. Her difficulties began with a dull ache in her right leg, which worsened significantly over time.

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“For a long time now, I’ve had a dull ache at rest in my right leg, but this then increased to brief numbness at max intensity on the bike and, since I returned home to Australia, has become more and more painful to the point that any riding felt impossible,” she explained. “My whole leg, especially my quad, felt like it was being set on fire, even when riding quite slowly.”

Despite the worsening pain, Gigante remained optimistic, hoping to defend her Tour Down Under title and compete at the National Time Trial Championships. “I didn’t know the reason for this and wanted to give myself every chance of defending my Tour Down Under title and doing well in the National TT Championships, so I kept trying to do endurance rides while we searched for muscular or nerve-related causes,” she said. “My motivation was still sky high, and I hoped that I could still recover from my mysterious injury, add in a few weeks of intensity and then be back on track.”

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However, tests soon revealed a more serious issue. “Sadly though, the problem was much more serious than we expected. An ultrasound and some blood pressure tests before and after cycling revealed that my artery was narrowing severely during exercise, limiting the blood flow to my leg,” Gigante shared. “The pain I was feeling was my poor muscles screaming out for oxygen.”

The surgery to address her condition was successful, but Gigante will now need time to recover fully, ruling her out of the upcoming Tour Down Under in January. While her absence will undoubtedly be felt, fans and the cycling community alike are rooting for her swift return to full health and form.