'If it comes, it comes': Jai Hindley and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe's approach to the Giro against Jonas Vingegaard

Ask Jonas Vingegaard who he sees as his biggest challengers at the Giro d'Italia, and the Visma | Lease a Bike Dane points directly to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. That team lines up with two co-leaders: former race winner Jai Hindley and the young, gifted Giulio Pellizzari. On the eve of the race, both spoke to the press.

"So far, so good," Hindley opens, in his soft, Perth drawl. "The weather's been great, the people are friendly, and on the bike things have been going well too. It's also a nice place to start." Among his support for the race are Mick van Dijke and Aleksandr Vlasov, while sprinter Danny van Poppel has stayed at home.

"We have a very strong team, both of us are in good shape, and we want to play to those strengths. How? By getting as far as possible into the race with two men high on the classification, and then playing those cards," says Hindley, who won the Giro back in 2022. "Though we're well aware that in Jonas Vingegaard there is one absolute top favourite."

"Which of us will end up higher? We're especially strong in depth — but let's start with the podium. That's the goal the team has stated. Which one of us takes it doesn't matter, as long as they're wearing a Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe jersey. And if something better comes, something better comes."

The climber turned 30 just three days before the Giro, but still feels himself improving. "I'm not a spring chicken anymore, mate," he laughs. "But it's true that I keep getting better and keep breaking my own records year on year — though that's the way it is across the whole sport. The level is incredibly high."