Red Bull BORA hansgrohe adjusts strategy after losing Hindley: "We might have to lean more on other teams"

“We heard over race radio that there had been a major crash involving Red Bull BORA hansgrohe riders,” team director Christian Pömer recalled in an interview with Velon. “We drove over immediately and Giovanni Aleotti told us right away that we needed to get a doctor for Jai, because things didn’t look good.”

“That turned out to be the case, and now we no longer have Jai with us, which is a big blow for our team and our strategy,” Pömer continued. “Shortly after that, we were informed by the commissaires that the race would be neutralized so all the other riders could regroup.” Jan Tratnik and Daniel Felipe Martinez were also involved in the crash for Red Bull BORA hansgrohe, while team leader Primoz Roglic managed to stay upright.

“Of course it's a big blow to lose Jai, because he was in great form,” Pömer continued. “And beyond that, we’re missing a personality who’s always ready to help others. It’s not just a loss on the bike but also on the team bus. Jai is our DJ and someone who’s won the Giro and stood on the podium.”

“What this means for our tactics is something we’ll see in the coming days. Anyone who follows cycling knows that a Grand Tour always develops its own dynamic in the third week,” said Pömer. “We might have to lean a bit more on the other teams now than we originally planned.”

“Jai was meant to support Primoz as best as possible in the third week, so we’ll need to adjust our strategy and rely more on other teams instead of controlling the race ourselves. Friday is the first mountain stage and we’re hoping for a strong ride from Primoz so we can try to make something happen,” he added via the team’s social channels.