Amanda Spratt: Finding the podium again at the Giro d’Italia Donne

MUR DE HUY, BELGIUM - APRIL 21: Amanda Spratt of Australia and Team BikeExchange on arrival during the 24th La Fleche Wallonne 2021, Women Elite a 130,2km race from Huy to Mur de Huy 204m / #FlecheWallonne / #FWwomen / #UCIWWT / on April 21, 2021 in Mur de Huy, Belgium. (Photo by Bas Czerwinski/Getty Images)
Amanda Spratt (Team BikeExchange) (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Last year’s 168澳擲5ęœ€ę–°å¼€å„–ē»“ęžœ:Giro d’Italia Donne is probably one 168澳擲5ęœ€ę–°å¼€å„–ē»“ęžœ:Amanda Spratt (168澳擲5ęœ€ę–°å¼€å„–ē»“ęžœ:Team BikeExchange) would like to forget. After two years of stepping up onto the podium, all while supportiź§’ng the race winner, she walked away with an injured shoulder, concussion and more than just her goals for that race in tatters. The Australian rider’s injuries meant that hopes of shifting up the podium steps at World Championships, on a course that suited, disappeared as well, along with much of the rest of her season. 

All in all, 2020 was a year that promised so much for Spratt – between OlyšŸ’ƒmpics, Worlds and the Giro d’Italia Donne – but delivered little. Expectations of top performances shelved, the aim to race again before 2020 as a team helper became enough – which she managed to do at the Tour of Flanders – as there was no time for looking back.