Sarah Gigante burst into tears after riding into second spot at the Tour de France Femmes after a stunning ride on Saturday's eighth stage up the Col de la Madeleine.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the stage, taking a commanding lead in the race for the yellow jersey after overhauling Gigante on the final climb.
"I was definitely dreaming of winning the stage," Gigante told SBS.
"I am happy with second. Pauline was just stronger."
The 33-year-old French rider finished 1 minute and 45 seconds ahead of the Aussie, and leads Gigante by 2 minutes, 37 seconds, with 2023 champion Demi Vollering 3:18 behind in third heading into tonight's (AEST) final stage.
Gigante, who started the stage in eighth spot, had her team to thank after trailing the group of favourites on the descents.
Getting her back in the lead group was only made possible by the selfless sacrifice of her AG Insurance-Soudal teammate Kim Le Court Pienaar, who was the race leader heading into the stage.
The Mauritian rider sacrificed her ambitions to catapult the Aussie back into the lead group, assisted by Belgian champion Justine Gheliere in an awesome display of camaraderie that had the 23-year-old in tears at the summit.
"My team really worked so hard for me. To have the yellow jersey sacrifice herself for me, that's next level," Gigante, who finished third overall in last month's Giro d'Italia Donne, said.
"That's the kind of stuff that gives you goosebumps.
"That was completely Kim's choice … in the meeting this morning she just had to do her own ride to defend yellow.
"Just to think she chose to change the plan and work for me … it's really special.
"I think I was disappointed at first [not to win the stage]," Gigante added, welling up with tears before breaking into heaving sobs.
"But now I'm so happy to get second here, it's really so special, and thanks to my team. It's surreal.
"It's just such good teamwork all week, I would be like, 15 minutes down and instead I'm [in second] … it's really just the best team ever, not just this week, forever. I love them so much.
"I don't know why I was disappointed, now I'm so happy."
Gigante attacked once the race hit the slopes of the legendary, 20km-long Col de la Madeleine, hitting out with 12km remaining, with only Pauliena Rooijakkers able to respond, leaving former champions Vollering and Katarzyna Niewiadoma trailing in their wake.
Initially distanced by Gigante's brutal burst, Ferrand-Prévot mercilessly chased down the young Aussie before setting off alone to catch the two leaders, Niamh Fisher-Black and Yara Kastelijn, up the road.
She then surged past to claim a memorable stage victory and put her in pole position to win the overall title.
Ferrand-Prévot adds to her mythology
Last year's event had the smallest winning margin in the history of the women's and men's races, but Ferrand-Prévot looks like winning far more comfortably, barring mishap.
Victory for Ferrand-Prévot would be understandably popular in France and only add to the Frenchwoman's stunning legacy in the sport.
A 12-time world champion in mountain biking, as well as winning other world titles in cyclo-cross, gravel, and the road race in 2014, Ferrand-Prévot can already claim to be one of the greatest cyclists of all time.
Winning the mountain bike gold medal at last year's Paris Olympics only added to her mystique, but the nagging feeling that she wanted to win the revamped Tour de France Femmes nagged away at her, prompting her to come out of road retirement and instigate a three-year plan to win the title.
There has not been a home champion in the Tour de France since Catherine Marsal won the Tour de la C.E.E. féminin in 1990, or Jeannie Longo won the last Tour de France Féminin in 1989, the last affiliated stage race under the Tour de France banner.
There has not been a male winner of the Tour de France overall title since Bernard Hinault won the last of his five titles in 1985.
After winning Paris-Roubaix in April, Ferrand-Prévot pulled out of the Vuelta and has barely raced since, putting all her eggs in performing well on home roads.
It's a decision that has clearly paid off, the veteran obliterating the field on the famed ascent of the Col de la Madeleine, the toughest of climbs that the race has summitted since its revival in 2022.
"It's a dream to wear the jersey," Ferrand-Prévot said.
"It's more than what I expected, and I'm so, so happy. I can't wait to see my teammates and to share this jersey with them because they have been a big, big part of this victory.
"The French public have been amazing since the start of the Tour de France, today on the climb I was really suffering, but I could hear all the people along the road and it was just a good feeling.
"I've worked so hard to get where I am now. I decided to come back on the road and at first was not very successful. I started the season and I worked so hard and the last month, the last two months, I did really a lot of training at altitude on the mountain. Today it's paying off.
"It's a dream come true for me."
The ninth and final stage of this year's race from Praz-sur-Arly to Châtel is another mountainous route, with three big climbs, and is even longer at 124km.
With 3,010m of elevation gain, it will be another one for the climbers, with Gigante in for a huge battle to remain in contention for a podium considering the two tough descents from the Col du Ranfolly and Col du Corbier, before the finish in Châtel les Portes du Soleil.
