Sarah Gigante has announced herself as an overall contender at the Giro d'Italia Donne with a stunning solo victory on stage four.
Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) claimed victory by 25 seconds from Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team-ADQ) and Marlen Reusser (Movistar) up the punishing 10.9km, 7.4 per cent climb to Pianezze from Valdobbiadene and the first summit finish of this year's race.
It is the biggest victory of the 24-year-old's career to date and comes after she spent six months out following surgery.
The Australian burst away from the select group of leaders in the final 1,500m of the 142km-long stage from Castello Tesino to Pianezze.
"I knew I was in good shape, but winning a stage goes beyond even my wildest dreams," Gigante said.
"In the final stretch, I kept looking back — it felt too good to be true".
Reusser reclaimed the Maglia Rosa (pink jersey) as the overall leader, with Longo Borghini 16 seconds down in second place on general classification.
Gigante, who burst onto the scene by claiming the Australian road race title as an 18-year-old in 2019 following another fine solo break, is in third place at 34 seconds.
The Aussie is also in the Maglia Azzurra (blue jersey) as leader of the Queen of the Mountains classification.
Gigante, who won a stage and the overall title at the 2024 Tour Down Under and is a two-time national time trial champion, has only just returned to action following iliac artery surgery in the off season.
The Victorian rider required the operation due to a thinning of the artery that transports blood down to her right leg, resulting in numbness and pain and is increasingly common in endurance athletes, particularly cyclists due to the constant flexing of the hip.
Gigante had previously required treatment for myopericarditis, an enlarging of the lining of the heart, in 2021.
"I had surgery on my iliac artery, then dislocated my shoulder and was out for six months," Gigante said.
"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time.
"I'm really grateful to [my team] — they believed in me even after I had surgery … I was worried I wouldn't be able to get back to my previous level, but they always lifted my spirits.
"This victory is for everyone who has always stood by me."
Thursday's sixth stage is a flat, 120km ride from Mirano to Monselice which will likely have little impact on the general classification.
From there, the race hits the mountains until the finish at Imola on Saturday.
