Jai Hindley: "I've done everything I had to do. We're going to try and get that podium in Paris"

Jai Hindley has arrived to the Tour de France healthy and in form. After his astounding Giro d'Italia win in 2022, there are high expectations for the Australian to perform. The high mountains will be his terrain and the route suits him well.

“As a little boy I already dreamed to be able to race here. I am very much looking forward to it. This is a special moment. I am grateful for the trust my team has given me," Hindley said in a press conference. "The fact that I can now ride the biggest cycling race in the world is really great. I feel great on the bike and am happy with the team we are here with.”

Whilst BORA - hansgrohe were very much marked by the last-minute absence of Sam Bennett, support will be limited for Hindley. The team will be backing Jordi Meeus in the sprints whilst trying to keep Hindley safe, and in the many mountain stages that will come throughout the three weeks, it will be his task to perform, in what is his Tour de France debut.

After finishing fourth in the Criterium du Dauphiné, where he looked good in the mountain stages - and even the time-trial, he was asked about his potential to finish on the podium. "Why not? This race is the main goal. I've done everything I had to do. We're going to try and get that podium in Paris. In any case, it would be a dream.”

The race will kick off immediately with an explosive stage where the GC riders will be tested. Hindley should be up to the test, and in the Pyrenean stages the order of the climbers should be well organized in the overall classification.

“Whether it will be a battle for third place? We will experience that in the next three weeks. It's hard to say now, but those two are world class. Last year they were clearly stronger than the rest. However, this year is another chance," he concluded.