Jai Hindley set for ‘fun and aggressive racing’ at the Tour Down Under
Last year’s Giro d’Italia champion plays down his chances of a potential Tour Down Under victory as he looks ahead to coming months
Jai Hindley can’t wait to zip up his new season Bora-Hansgrohe jersey and clip into his pedals once more to begin a new WorldTour season this weekend.
After a long off-season at home in Australia, last year’s Giro d’Italia champion is getting set to travel to Adelaide ready for the WorldTour season curtain raiser, the Town Down Under, in the coming days.
Speaking to Cycling Weekly, Hindley explained that after studying the key stages, he’s predicting full-gas, aggressive racing as the new season gets underway in the height of the Australian summer.
“It's going to be a great month for Australian racing. We’ve had the nationals, then we’ve got Down Under, the Cadel [Evans] race and a couple of races in between them. Normally we’d have had the Sun Tour but that’s not on this year unfortunately,” Hindley said.
“So there’s a really good month there and it’s good times for the scene.”
The five stages of the Tour Down Under feature two fearsome looking days in the Adelaide Hills, something which on paper is right up Hindley’s street. Although the Bora-Hansgrohe man looked to play down his chances of a result racing on home roads as he looked ahead to bigger goals in the coming months.
“We’ll see. I mean I’m not going to say no but it’s obviously quite early in the season,” he said.
“I’ve got some really big goals lined up this year, so we’ll see how next week plays out. I think the course looks good, they’ve changed it up a fair bit and it's going to be a good race.”
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
“With the way cycling is going now I think it’ll be quite aggressive racing. I’ve looked at all the stages, they’re quite short so I think we’ll see some fun, aggressive racing which will be really nice actually,” Hindley added.
Opportunities to race back at home are few and far between for Hindley. The Australian told Cycling Weekly that he was looking forward to racing on home roads in front of Aussie fans.
However, he explained that it was “not the end of the world” if the race doesn’t go to plan.
“There’s not so many races here in Oz, so getting to do Down Under is really cool. I know a lot of the guys in Europe always look forward to doing this race, and especially the Aussie pros,” Hindley said. “It’s probably one of the best weeks in the calendar for us Aussie guys, just being in that atmosphere and environment.”
“As a rider it’s a great event but I can imagine it’s great for the spectators too. All the race is in one area and it’s super accessible for the fans. I don’t think you get that in too many other sports actually,” he added.
“There will be guys here ready to perform at a super high level, then others who are just looking to get some early season racing K’s in the legs. The level will be really high though that's for sure.”
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Tom joined Cycling Weekly in early 2022 and his news stories, rider interviews and features appear both online and in the magazine.
He has reported from some of professional cycling's biggest races and events including the Tour de France and the recent Glasgow World Championships. He has also covered races elsewhere across the world and interviewed some of the sport's top riders.
When not writing news scoops from the WorldTour, or covering stories from elsewhere in the domestic professional scene, he reports on goings on at bike shops up and down the UK, where he is based when not out on the road at races. He has also appeared on the Radio Cycling podcast.
-
Customizable titanium race bikes without the eye-watering price tag: Blackheart's Road Ti bike reviewed
The Road Ti offers that calm and refined feel for a fraction of the cost of other titanium racing bikes.
By Greg Kaplan Published
-
Kasia Niewiadoma wins La Flèche Wallonne, first road victory for five years
The Canyon-Sram rider took her first road victory for five years on the Mur de Huy
By Adam Becket Published
-
Wout van Aert to miss Giro d'Italia due to injuries suffered at Dwars door Vlaanderen
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider was set to ride the Italian Grand Tour for the first time
By Adam Becket Published
-
'I pulled it off and turned everything around' - Brandon McNulty on the ride that changed him
US star grabbed his first ever Grand Tour win at last year’s Giro d’Italia
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers delighted with Egan Bernal’s late cameo on stage one of Paris-Nice
Colombian snapped up key bonus seconds in the general classification battle on run in to Les Mureaux
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
French pro cyclist suffering with memory loss after Tour Down Under crash
‘I have no memory of the crash’ says Rudy Molard of Groupama FDJ after incident in Australia
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Geraint Thomas to race Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in 2024
Welshman will return to the Giro in May before heading to the French Grand Tour as part of the Ineos Grenadiers squad
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I don't know if I'll be at this team or in cycling next year': Julian Alaphilippe on the Giro d'Italia, finding his form, and his relationship with Patrick Lefevere
Frenchman will focus on the Classics and then the Giro d'Italia in his contract year at Quick-Step
By Adam Becket Published
-
There is so much hope for British cycling, despite the domestic scene’s troubles
Stevie Williams’ victory at the Tour Down Under was just the latest breakthrough ride by a Briton, although there might not be a home UCI stage race to perform at soon
By Adam Becket Published
-
Oscar Onley, Isaac del Toro proud but disappointed as both miss out on Tour Down Under victory
Scot finishes fourth, Mexican second, as breakthrough weeks end in dismay
By Adam Becket Published