"I exploded pretty hard, it was lights out" - But no regrets for Jai Hindley, who fades out of top-10 contention in Kigali

Jai Hindley gave everything in pursuit of a result at the World Championships road race in Kigali, ultimately fading to 16th place at the line, 10:01 behind champion Tadej Pogacar. For the Australian, the sheer brutality of the Rwandan circuit and the unrelenting pace of the finale made for one of the most demanding one-day contests he has ever faced.

“Today was probably one of the hardest one-day races I ever did, I think,” Hindley admitted afterwards in a post-race press release from Australian Cycling. “It was brutal. I put myself in the mix. The guys also did a great job on the road. Unfortunately, I just exploded pretty hard, and it was lights out. But that’s also bike racing, and I have no regrets.”

Despite the personal disappointment, Hindley praised the collective effort of the Australian squad, who remained well represented deep into the decisive phase of the race. “We managed to have four guys there in the group after the big climb, which I think was a pretty good effort. We were right in the race. I think in general, we were pretty good today, tactically.”

Hindley was quick to underline what it means to him to pull on the national jersey at the sport’s biggest one-day event. “To race for your country, there’s nothing better, you know what I mean? It never gets old and it’s something that I look forward to every year. If I get the opportunity to do the Worlds with the Aussie team, it’s one of the best weeks of the year. It’s always a great group of people that you’re working with; always great support,” he said in conclusion. “So, really special feeling, and I’m super proud to race for the green and gold as always.”

Though the final result was short of what he may have hoped for, Hindley’s determination, resilience, and pride in representing Australia once again shone through. In Kigali, he joined his teammates in underlining that the green and gold remains a force to be reckoned with at the World Championships.