"I didn't have the legs to make it to the line" - Jai Hindley on his 5th place finish in Tour Down Under stage 2

Jai Hindley was on the verge of securing his first victory of the season, but his breakaway companion Rohan Dennis foiled his plans, ultimately resulting in a fifth-place finish.

"It was quite a stressful day, particularly with the crosswinds, which created a lot of stress,” said Hindley after the race. He continues, “It was tricky coming into the final climb. We had Giovanni following the initial move, and then I made the move with Rohan.”

He had the endurance to reach the final stretch, but not enough juice to challenge Dennis in the final sprint. “In the end, I was in a group of five with Dennis, Schmidt, Vine and Yates. We were pretty committed to staying clear of the chasing group. I went at the chicane section and got a bit of a gap, but ultimately I didn't have the legs to make it to the line and eventually, the other guys passed me in the finale,” explains the Australian rider.

Following the crash yesterday, Jordi Meeus was unable to continue and withdrew from the tour. With no other option, Hindley gave his all and moved up to 39th place in the overall classification. However, it will be challenging for his team to achieve their general classification aspirations as no one on the team holds a position in the top 10.