Ever since the possibility of a Tour de France femme was discussed, Sara Gigante has been eager to compete in the race. Although she failed to qualify for the first two editions, she finally got her chance in the third.

An Australian athlete with all the qualities of a future GC contender will run from AG Insurance Soudal. The team had a strong overall option in Ashley Moolman-Pasio, who finished 6th in 2023. However, the South African will be sidelined to allow a little more time for his broken vertebrae to heal.

“Jorian (Dfour) from DS said it was impossible to replace Ashley. So instead of putting pressure on me and Kim [LeCourt], we will stick to the plan, keep an open mind, have fun, gain experience, and take our chances where we can,” Gigante said in the Netherlands before the race began.

Where those opportunities lie for Gigante is clear given her climbing prowess, having taken a stage win at the top of Willunga Hill at the start of the season and an overall win in the Women's Santos Tour Down Under.

“The last two stages, especially the Alpe d'Huez, will be surreal,” Gigante said when asked about her focus for the race. [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...]

“It's been a dream come true, a great year. The riders are all great and the staff is fantastic. There are so many opportunities.”

“They've been patient with me and it's been a lot of fun.”