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Jai Hindley on modern cycling: "The level is getting higher and higher and guys are having to do more extreme sh*t with their training"
CyclingFriday, 15 December 2023 at 15:00
In recent years, performances in cycling have evolved quite a lot and the level is higher than ever. Although some adapt, others find difficulties keeping up with the level of demand and focus all-yea round that it takes to be at this level. Jai Hindley talks about that exact situation.
“Everyone is training at altitude now. Guys are trying at altitude early in the season because they’re targeting smaller races where they know they can get a result, maybe they can’t get a result at bigger races. Across the board, the level is getting higher and higher and guys are having to do more extreme shit with their training, pushing to the limits more with training, nutrition, and sacrifice," Hindley said in words to Cyclingnews and Velo. “It’s becoming a lot less social with life. It seems like if you don’t have tunnel vision, then you’re just getting left in the dust. It’s pretty crazy actually, and that’s just from my perspective from 2018 to now.”
Hindley revealed that he spent four and a half weeks in 2023 training at altitude, and that does not include the pre-season training camps and time spent traveling to and in races. It can be quite difficult to manage it on a psychological level, even without taking into consideration the fatigue. The Australian rider has also been one of the most successful of the season in the big picture of the peloton, and he understands that for those who do not have the ball rolling, it can become a daunting task.
“The majority of the bunch is spending time away from family, home, friends, and everything. It’s all just part of it. It’s necessary in modern-day cycling,” Hindley believes. “In a way, I enjoy the training and the isolation, but then another aspect it can be very boring and lonely at times... The sport is super demanding, physically and with your time as well. Everything is devoted to your job. You have to be super passionate to do it. If you’re not 110 percent you’re just battling all the time."
The BORA - hansgrohe details also how he endured the finale of the Tour de France despite a hard crash on stage 14 which derailed his podium chances, ultimately a disappointment after a brilliant start to the race where he got a sage win and wore the yellow jersey for a day. “The Tour is the biggest race and you keep going unless you got like two broken legs. It was really grim, especially the last week I was just suffering every day and losing a lot of time every day and then still tried to stay in the GC battle, but it was really shit to just watch the GC slide further and further down.”
He will team up with Primoz Roglic in 2024 and certainly both will race the Tour de France. “For sure, I would love to go back and to give it another crack and see what I can do and see where I am and where the team’s at." He could end up becoming a supporting rider for the Slovenian, but most likely there will be some sort of co-leadership unless one of them particularly stands out.
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