Strong Performance by Sarah Gigante in Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Sarah Gigante from AG Insurance – Soudal made a statement in Liège-Bastogne-Liège with an impressive solo effort of over 60 kilometers. The race, which started in Bastogne at Place McAuliffe and finished in Liège, included a tough 153-kilometer route featuring ten challenging climbs, such as Côte de Wanne, Col du Rosier, Côte de La Redoute, and Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons.

Sarah’s attack started early in the race, with 135 kilometers still to go. After the first climb and a technical descent, she found herself leading alone. Her resolute solo effort led her over iconic climbs like Côte de Saint-Roch, where she triumphed early in the race in the Queen of the Mountain (QOM) sprint just 15.8 kilometers from the start.

Approximately 62 kilometers from the finish, a small group of eight riders caught up with Sarah. They worked together until about 35 kilometers from the finish, at which point the peloton split into increasingly smaller groups, eventually allowing the favorites to break away and sprint for the victory.

Sarah Gigante shared her experience enthusiastically after the race: “The plan was to attack early during the first climb, and I received fantastic support from my teammates Gaia, Ashleigh, and Maaike, who tried to bring me to the front. Although I didn’t escape on the climb itself, I was still at the front after the descent while the peloton was nervous. The idea was to get away with a small group, but eventually, I found myself alone, so I decided to seize the opportunity. With little experience in European breakaways, I utilized the gap I had. I rode 60 kilometers solo, pushing on, hoping that others would join, but no one did. The encouragement from the crowd, including fans from other teams, was overwhelming. On the Col du Rosier, eight riders joined me, and I worked with them until La Redoute, where I lost touch at the top. Although my legs were exploding, I kept fighting. I ended up in the chasing group and was finally caught by the peloton on the last climb. Exhausted but satisfied, this was undoubtedly the best race I have ever run in Europe. I am very happy with how I rode and that I followed our team plan to attack early. This race is now my favorite among the classics.”

On the podium of Liège-Bastogne-Liège stood Grace Brown in first place, followed by Elisa Longo Borghini and Demi Vollering.