Jai Hindley on perfect Tour de France route: "If I were on the podium or even wearing the yellow jersey and winning the race, it would be unreal"
Cycling
Jai Hindley is a fan of the high mountains and he may never have a better opportunity to succeed in the Tour de France than 2023. If he finds his best form, he will be able to battle in the climbs without having to worry about the losses he'd have in time-trials elsewhere.
"The course may never get better than this year for a rider like me. Because of the many climbs, the ranking will fall reasonably well in the first week. Furthermore, there is only one time trial, which is also short and hilly," Hindley shared in a interview with SBS. The only time-trial in the route is 22-kilometers long and highly mountainous, where he shouldn't lose too much time.
When comparing to the Giro d'Italia for example which had 55 kilometers of mostly pan-flat racing against the clock, the Australian won't have to suffer from one of the flaws he has in his armour. He finished just outside the Top10 in the Criterium du Dauphiné's time-trial which comes as a great sign, however it is in the climbs that both races will be decided.
"It would be a dream to be on the Tour podium one day. It won't be easy, but it's been a dream of mine for a long time," he admits. "Not many guys have managed that, the Tour is the holy grail of the sport, the toughest and biggest race in cycling. If I were on the podium or even wearing the yellow jersey and winning the race, it would be unreal.”
Hindley will be leading BORA - hansgrohe at the Grand Boucle, the team won't be fully built around him with the presence of Sam Bennett however the likes of Sergio Higuita and Emanuel Buchmann are expected at the Tour. It'll be a tough challenge but one where the Australian can thrive, just as he has in last year's Giro d'Italia.
"I've heard the stories about how much pressure there is in the Tour. It's the biggest race in the sport, so naturally there's more pressure and attention involved. It's a huge event and I'm preparing for it as best I can. In the end it's just a three week race, a grand tour and those are always tough. It doesn't matter what country it is in, I'll take it as it comes," he concluded.
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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