<\/p>\n
When Gigante launched, only Ferrand-Prevot could follow. The
\ntwo quickly bridged to Marion Bunel from the early break. Bunel, another French
\ntalent, helped pace Ferrand-Prevot before dropping off with 8.5km to go.
\nGigante too was distanced shortly after, as Ferrand-Prevot surged ahead toward
\nvictory. Still, Gigante held her own, finishing second on one of the toughest
\nclimbs of the race and putting serious time into the likes of Demi Vollering
\nand Katarzyna Niewiadoma, both over three minutes behind.<\/p>\n
“In January, I couldn’t even ride a bike. To then
\nfinish second on the Col de la Madeleine behind an Olympic champion is
\nincredible,” Gigante reflected. She revealed that she underwent surgery in
\nthe winter for a narrowed femoral artery, a condition that had affected her
\nperformance in previous seasons.<\/p>\n
“I really dreamed of winning the stage, and my team
\nworked so hard for me, but ultimately I’m happy with second place,” she
\ntold Wielerflits. “Pauline was simply stronger. I haven’t seen her yet,
\nbut hats off.”<\/p>\n
Gigante\u2019s emotion was raw at the finish. \u201cIt\u2019s very special,
\nto come second is so amazing. It feels surreal, and I owe it entirely to my
\nteam. I really love them,\u201d she said tearfully. She acknowledged ongoing
\nstruggles with her descending, often criticized by fans online, but wasn\u2019t
\nletting that take away from what she\u2019d just achieved.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still have a lot to work on my descent, and I get a lot
\nof negative feedback about it. Even though I try not to look at it, people
\nmessage me about it. I might not be the best descender, but finishing second
\nhere is pretty cool,\u201d she smiled.<\/p>\n
Heading into the final stage, Gigante is second on GC, 2:37
\nbehind Ferrand-Prevot and with a comfortable gap over third-placed Vollering. A
\npodium now looks all but certain, and for Gigante, whose 2025 season started in
\na hospital bed, it would be the most unlikely and emotional conclusion to the
\nyear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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