"He showed up at the perfect moment and pushed incredibly hard": Jai Hindley credits much of his Giro podium to Pellizzari

The love story of Jai Hindley and Giro d'Italia wrote its another chapter this May. The 2022 Corsa Rosa champion and a runner-up from 2020 complete his podium result collection with a strong third place after three weeks of consistent performances in the mountains.

"It was a great Giro," Hindley analyzed in an interview for Bici.pro, "very demanding, as these races always are. You know there will be difficult moments, complicated days, and others when everything works out."

That the Australian was in a great form became evident as soon as the riders arrived to the first big mountain test - the Blockhaus. The following summit finish in Corno alla Scale was a bit of letdown for Hindley, but a modest time trial allowed him to bounce back into the second week with a rediscovered anthusiasm.

"I'm happy with my consistency and the fact that I've been competitive in all the key stages," the 30-year-old seemed extremely satisfied with his race.

Sometimes on the attack, other days on the defense, Hindley gradually passed main rivals Thymen Arensman and Afonso Eulálio in the general classification:

"In a three-week race, having one exceptional day isn't enough. What's most important is limiting the damage when your legs aren't working at their best," Hindley outlined.

"Everyone has difficult moments during a Grand Tour," Jai continues. "After all, you race for three weeks, and even if you have difficult days, you can always recover and become competitive again. For this too, I have to thank the team for their trust and for the opportunity they gave me to be a leader."

For a long time, it seemed as though Arensman would be able to defend his third place ahead of Hindley, but the Dutchman eventually revealed cracks in his armor during stage 19. This year's queen stage with nearly 5,000 meters of climbing and a hard finish to Piani di Pezzè was marked in red by all participants for obvious reasons.

"The Piani di Pezzé stage had always been tipped as a key day. It was the queen stage and took place in the final part of the race, so I knew it would be the right opportunity to try and gain ground."

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe played their card by sending Giulio Pellizzari - their original leader who dropped out of GC in second week due to illness - up the road in a large breakaway. And as that group featured another GC contender in Derek Gee-West, peloton always kept the group on a short leash.

Those were perfect circumstances for Red Bull, as they hoped to pull Pellizzari back to Hindley at some point of the stage to support Hindley's attempt at a podium result. And that's precisely how the finale played out with Arensman losing a minute to Hindley, handing over his third spot.

"Giulio," Hindley continued, "did a fantastic race. He showed up at the perfect moment and pushed incredibly hard when I needed it. He prepared me perfectly for the final kilometer, where I then gave it my all. We have an excellent relationship. He's a fantastic guy to work with and be with. He always brings positive energy. He's a great talent, and I think Italian cycling can look forward with confidence thanks to him ."