Jai Hindley will race on home roads at Tour Down Under: 'A significant person in Australian cycling history'
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Follow us on GoogleJai Hindley will open his season on home roads. It has been confirmed that the Australian will race the Santos Tour Down Under for the first time since 2023. He is the first rider to be confirmed by the official channels.
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Hindley to race on home roads at the start of next year
The Tour Down Under starts on January 19 2027, and will finish six days later on January 24. It is the race which opens the WorldTour road season.
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Hindley, who was born in Perth, hasn't raced the Tour Down Under since 2023. He said, "I’m really looking forward to returning."
"It’s a great way to kick off the season, racing in the Australian summer and on home roads in front of the Aussie fans."
Read more below the photo!
Teammate racing alongside Hindley confirmed to be Kiwi Laurence Pithie
In the official post from Tour Down Under, which announced Hindley as the first confirmed rider, the race also announced once teammate who would race alongside the Aussie.
Kiwi Laurence Pithie, who has won the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race before will also start his season at the Tour Down Under.
Read more below the photo!
Laurence Pithie will also race the Tour Down Under
It is the fifth consecutive time Pithie has tackled this race. The entire Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe roster will be announced shortly.
Tour Down Under is set to make history this year
The WorldTour multi-day race is set to become the first in the world to run the men's and women's races on the same days and over the same course.
On corresponding race days, the women's peloton will roll out approximately 90 minutes after the men, following the same distance and route, and using the same start and finish locations," the organisers confirmed.
Could Hindley win at the season opener?
Hindley has never won on these home roads. He has finished 16th, 18th, 18th, and 25th across his four appearances.
However, the 30-year-old Perth-born rider has won the Giro d'Italia, and according to race director Stuart O'Grady, "He holds a significant place in Australian cycling history as a Grand Tour winner"
He added, "At the age of 30 he remains in the prime of his career so we are getting to see the best of him. The course suits his characteristics with his all-round ability complemented nicely by his ability to climb with the best in the peloton."
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Clarice WebsterEditor
Clarice has been following cycling her whole life, wroting about Thibaut Pinot (among others) for her university magazine while earning her masters in Journalism. She is passionate about furthering equality in sports coverage, and has taken huge inspiration from pillars of women’s cycling like Beryl Burton, Marianne Vos, and Laura Kenny.
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