Jai Hindley will be starting the Vuelta a Espana as one of the big favourites after the success he's found at the Giro d'Italia this year, as he co-leads a strong BORA - hansgrohe into the mountainous race.
“... It was really cool to win the Giro, my first year and grand tour with the team. But at the same time, the expectation is to be able to back up that performance. I’m up for the challenge," Hindley said in a press conference before the start of the Vuelta.
“I think it’ll probably play out similar to the Giro. More or less, let the road decide, like we did there," he stated. BORA - hansgrohe have lost Emanuel Buchmann due to an urinary tract infection recently, but remain having Sergio Higuita besides Jai Hindley, and Wilco Kelderman is also a rider capable of surprising taking into consideration his performances in the last few years.
"It worked out; that’s not to say it’ll work here, but the guys we’ve brought are really good. And no one in the team has a crazy ego or something like that," Hindley revealed. “If I lose time in the first week, for sure I’m going to do the best I can to help whoever we do have on GC, and vice versa, I know the guys will support me if that’s the case".
Although the high mountains won't be as present here as they were at the Giro, where the terrain favoured the Australian more, he has shown form in recent weeks and will have days where he can make serious differences if he has the form he's shown in May such as the summit finishes at Peñas Blancas and Sierra Nevada.
“San Sebastián wasn’t super great, I think it came down to not racing for such a long time and also doing a long altitude camp and not going super hard directly after the camp. Then Getxo and Burgos following were a bit better," he said. With a seventh place in Burgos, the 26-year old is on his way to reach his best form in the coming month.
“It’s just like going into the unknown, I guess I’m a bit nervous because I don’t know how it’ll go, especially that last week, but I’m really excited for it," he added. Although high GC ambitions will be present, the presence of Sam Bennett and his leadout will see the team with split decisions mainly throughout the flat days, but Hindley doesn't believe that will be a problem.
“To be honest, I think the team will have no problems finding the balance between GC and sprint focus. It’ll work hand in hand, so it’s all good," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
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Next Stop ➡️ VUELTA A ESPAÑA 🇪🇸 Here's our line-up: ➡️ @Sammmy_Be ➡️ @EmuBuchmann ➡️ @HiguitSergio ➡️ @JaiHindley ➡️ @W1lcokelderman ➡️ @jonaskoch3 ➡️ @ryanmullen9 ➡️ @Dannyvanpoppel #BandOfBrothers
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