Early in the 2024 season Australian climber Sarah Gigante won her first WorldTour stage and GC with a strong performance on Willunga Hill. The new recruit for AG Insurance Soudal Team attacked early on the famous climb, dropping everyone off her wheel in a strong headwind.
After winning an uphill sprint on Stage 2, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig was the race leader before the Queen stage. Sarah Gigante won on Willunga Hill in the 2021 Santos Festival of Cycling which happened with only Australian riders on the startlist due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Gigante beat closest rival Lucy Kennedy by a minute on Willunga Hill, attacking early on and setting her tempo, however that stage had more favourable wind conditions for a fast performance.
Willunga Hill (3.4 km, 7.4%) is not a steep or long climb but it is enough to create big gaps as Richie Porte proved multiple times in the men’s race, dominating on the climb almost every year. With the first 1.5 kilometres being the steepest, the gradient there being over 8%, it is the best time to attack as the draft benefi is not as high as later in the climb.
The QOM owner of the climb, Sarah Gigante attacked with 2.8 km to go after Lidl-Trek had paced the start of the climb. No one could match her speed up Willunga. Despite the strong headwind, 500 metres into her attack race leader Uttrup Ludwig was distanced.
Gigante did not beat her Willunga Hill record from 2021 but her effort was enough to win the stage and GC. The Australian climbed it in 10:19 min with 5.92 ᵉW/Kg (power normalised for a 60kg rider). It probably will remain as of the strongest climbing efforts in 2024. It was the strongest headwind in our database for any climbs. With the same power output in neutral wind, Gigante would have done the climb 25 seconds faster.
It was an impressive performance and it’s good to see the wants confirm it. To see Uttrup Ludwig totally red line, made it look like Gigante really blew them away.