“We will for sure see some gaps” - Jai Hindley eyeing return to special Blockhaus hunting ground as Giro d’Italia GC battle poised to ignite

For the first time at the 2026 Giro d’Italia, there will be nowhere to hide. The race has already been shaped by crashes, withdrawals, missed chances and shifting leadership, but Friday’s Blockhaus summit finish should finally drag the general classification battle onto pure climbing terrain.

That brings Jai Hindley back to a mountain with real meaning. The Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider is not simply heading towards the first major summit finish of the race.

He is returning to the climb where he won during his 2022 Giro d’Italia victory, and to the roads where he first learned what a long European mountain pass really felt like.

“It was pretty bloody long, mate,” Hindley told reporters, recalling his first memories of Blockhaus from his time racing in Abruzzo as an amateur. “I’d never really done such a long climb before, so it was maybe one of the longest climbs I did in my life up until that point and it was super cool. I was living maybe 50k away, so for me, it's a pretty special mountain.”

Red Bull arrive at the first decisive climbing test with two cards to play. Giulio Pellizzari has already shown he can respond to Jonas Vingegaard’s accelerations, while Hindley brings the authority of a former Giro winner and a rider with proven history on Blockhaus.

That combination matters. Vingegaard remains the clear reference point, but the Giro has already been stripped of several expected challengers. Joao Almeida, Mikel Landa and Richard Carapaz never reached the start, while Adam Yates, Jay Vine, Marc Soler and Santiago Buitrago have since been removed from the race by crashes. The result is a GC field where any team with two live options suddenly carries extra tactical weight.

Hindley is under no illusion about what Friday can reveal. “It’s super important,” he said. “I think it’s the first really big test. I think at Blockhaus we will for sure see some gaps and I think we will have a good idea on who’s got the legs at this race. We have a good team. I think we can also be there with two guys in the final, hopefully, so that’s the goal, and then we’ll see.”

The climb itself is only part of the challenge. Stage 7 runs to 244km, making it the longest day of the Giro, with the peloton facing the road to Roccaraso before the final haul to Blockhaus. That distance changes the equation. This is not a short, explosive test where riders can bluff through on freshness. By the time the favourites reach the final climb, the fatigue will already be deep. “We will come there with a lot of fatigue in the legs from a long day, and the final climb itself is really tough,” Hindley said. “It will be a proper day out.”

For Hindley, it is a chance to turn familiar ground into a statement. For Pellizzari, it is a first opportunity to confirm whether his early promise can survive a longer mountain battle. For Vingegaard, it is the moment where his favourite status can either harden further or finally come under pressure.

The opening week has changed the shape of this Giro before the mountains have truly begun. Blockhaus should show who is ready to change it on the road.