"We’re both here as leaders” - Giulio Pellizzari goes into Giro d'Italia as Red Bull's bright talent, but not above Jai Hindley
Cycling
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.”
Shared leadership with Pellizzari
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.”
Giulio Pellizzari at the team presentation
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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