Australian bicycle owner Jai Hindley could have a shot at creating historical past when he traces up within the remaining Grand Tour of the 12 months, the Vuelta a España.
Key factors:
- Jai Hindley received his first Grand Tour on the Giro d’Italia earlier this 12 months
- No Australian has ever received the Vuelta a España, with Cadel Evans and Jack Haig’s third locations one of the best by any Australian
- This 12 months’s Vuelta begins with a workforce time trial in Utrecht within the Netherlands
Solely 10 riders have ever received two Grand Excursions in a single season, with the Giro-Vuelta double the equal-most elusive feat.
Simply three riders have ever claimed the Giro-Vuelta double in a single season: Eddie Merckx (1973), Giovanni Battaglin (1981) and Alberto Contador (2008).
However that is what 26-year-old Hindley will probably be aiming for after he was named as a part of a powerful Bora-Hansgrohe workforce that may line up for the race-opening workforce time trial within the Dutch metropolis of Utrecht.
Hindley turned the primary Australian to win the Giro final Could in what was simply his fifth Grand Tour begin.
He was simply the second Australian to ever win a Grand Tour after Cadel Evans’s 2011 Tour de France win — and will probably be aiming to develop into the primary Australian to ever win the Vuelta.
The West Australian’s solely earlier look within the Vuelta was in 2018, when he completed in thirty second place general behind general winner Simon Yates, who will this 12 months lead Australian workforce Workforce BikeExchange-Jayco.
Hindley had two months off after his Giro victory however just lately completed seventh general on the latest five-stage Vuelta Ciclista a Burgos.
“The primary objective is to be good for La Vuelta, and we nonetheless have a little bit of time earlier than that, so it is all good,” Hindley instructed the Bora-Hansgrohe workforce after the race.
“After such a very long time off from racing after which coming off the again of a tough altitude camp, it is good to be again on the pointy finish of a race.
“I believe Wilco [Kelderman] and Emu [Emanuel Buchmann] are related and, hopefully, we’ll hit peak type on the proper time.”
Three-time reigning champion Primož Roglič is anticipated to line up for Jumbo Visma, regardless of crashing out of the Tour de France with a shoulder damage.
If Roglič does begin, he will probably be seeking to develop into the primary man to win four-consecutive Vuelta titles.
Australian Jack Haig — who additionally crashed out of this 12 months’s Tour de France and is anticipated to be named to begin for Bahrain Victorious — completed a shock third in final 12 months’s Vuelta, seven minutes and 40 seconds behind Roglič.
That equalled Evans’ third-placed end in 2009 because the joint greatest end by an Australian within the Spanish Grand Tour.
AG2R rider Ben O’Connor — one other rider whose Tour prematurely ended after damage having completed fourth in 2021 — can also begin.
Australian riders have stood on the rostrum in 4 of the final eight Grand Tour races.
The Vuelta will get underway with a 23.3km workforce time trial on Friday, September 19, opening three days of racing within the Netherlands earlier than the race heads south to Spain.
That race will cowl 3,280.5km in 21 phases, seven of that are classed as mountain phases.
