"We’re both here as leaders” - Giulio Pellizzari goes into Giro d'Italia as Red Bull's bright talent, but not above Jai Hindley

Jai Hindley lines up for another Giro d’Italia 2026 with the authority of a rider who already wore pink all the way to Milan. Embedded in the powerful Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe block, he will share leadership with young Italian Giulio Pellizzari, a strategy designed to maximize the German team’s GC options against Jonas Vingegaard.

Hindley was satisfied with his run-in despite a minor spring setback: “Yes, I think it was a good build-up. I had a solid camp in Tenerife and then went to the Ardennes. I was a little sick afterwards, but nothing serious. I’m here, ready to start,” he told Cycling Pro Net.

The Australian arrives confident in his condition after a plan blending altitude and racing, two pillars that usually shape his Grand Tour preparations. The 2022 edition winner did not have a paeticularly flashy spring, but has experience on his side going into his sixth Grande Partenza.

On the route, Hindley expects a hard race from the gun, in line with recent trends: “We know one of the Giro’s traits is that it can be tough from the start.”

In that sense, he doesn’t foresee real transition days: “If you look at racing now, it’s always very hard. Even what could be considered an easy day, we still manage to make it stressful or difficult for some reason.”

The first big test, in his view, will come early: “I think probably the first real test will be the ‘sterrato’ stage. I think it’s pretty epic, and super long as well. And then a very hard climb (Blockhaus, stage 7, ed.) to finish. I think that will be the first test.”

After that initial selection, he expects the GC battle to settle slightly: “Then, yes, the race will probably calm down a little from there, in GC terms, or have a bit more structure.”

One of the team’s key points will be the tactical balance between Hindley and Pellizzari. The Italian comes from third at Tirreno-Adriatico and winning the Tour of the Alps, and has set himself up as Jonas Vingegaard's biggest rival.

Yet, there is no one-leader strategy as of the time being. The Australian is clear: “Yes, we’re both here as leaders and we’re both going all in. We’ve got a great team," he explains.

Far from seeing an issue in dual leadership, he views it as a strategic strength: “We’ll try to race it like that, to keep two riders in the GC for as long as possible. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Hindley also underlined the team’s depth, a key factor in modern cycling: “The team has been pretty consistent this year. If you look at the stage races, there’s almost always someone on the podium.”

That consistency strengthens the case for multiple cards: “We’ve been going to each race with several riders and I think it’s worked pretty well. It’s about managing that and managing race tactics.”

In-race, having close allies can make the difference: “I think it’s always good to have riders there in the final of a GC group. It’s much better than being alone. Having another rider, another jersey there, helps a lot.”

With that approach, the Australian sums up the team’s main asset: “Having riders is a big advantage for the team.”