Last Sunday (14), in Willunga Hill, Australia, Sarah Gigante returned to the sports category in style. In her first race of the season, the athlete established dominance on the track, taking victory in the Tour Down Under and her performance was one of the greatest of her professional career.
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“It means everything to me to win. I really hoped to show up and show that I was back at the nationals, but with my bad luck in the time trial… My team believed in me even when I was struggling. It means a lot to me to go back after winning here three years ago and since then so many things have gone wrong. Now I’m back and I’m very happy”, said Sarah Gigante.
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The cyclist had to withdraw from professional sport due to a series of complications throughout her life, such as illnesses, heart problems, accidents that left consequences with fractured bones in a short period of time. And, due to events, she did not have the opportunity to participate in other competitions.
However, with difficulties in the way, Sarah Gigante did not stop dreaming about her return to cycling and her next victories: “I am proud of all my achievements and sometimes just believing in myself was the best part. Last year I only did one race all year. Moving forward, going every day, I didn’t miss a single workout. I have always believed in myself and listened to people who did. That’s what I’m most proud of.”
The Willunga Hill stage is one of the most difficult stages throughout the Tour Down Under, with long climbs, average gradients of 7.4% and 15.6% and setbacks that can be influenced by crosswinds. Many competitors considered strong were unable to complete the race, leaving the way open for Sarah Gigante’s spectacular performance.