Jai Hindley has been the leader of BORA-hansgrohe over the past few years, but that won’t be the case in 2024. The Australian will be assisting Primoz Roglic in the upcoming season and knows that the team will have to step up.
“This is very exciting; it’s a big signing for the team, and he’s one of the best cyclists in the world, showing it year after year. I think he’s world-class, and when a guy like that comes to a team, everyone has to step up, so I think for the team, it’s a good thing,” Hindley told GCN.
Uncertainty about his role in the team
The winner of the 2022 Giro d’Italia may well find himself as a domestique for the Slovenian, especially if the team focuses entirely on the Tour de France, which is likely the main goal for Roglic next season. However, with routes not yet announced, Hindley is still unsure of what the plan will be for the next year. “I’m not sure how we’re going to do it with the team; we have to wait for the announcement of the Giro and Tour routes…”
“The BORA team is probably in a better position to contend for the overall victory in the Tour de France, given their track record of winning major races, including this year’s Giro d’Italia,” Hindley said.
In July of this year, Hindley benefited from a break in the first week to secure a stage win and the yellow jersey on the first mountain stage. He finished the Tour in seventh place due to a crash that hindered his race. “It was a bit of ups and downs, not my best season, to be honest. The main goal of the year was the Tour, and I put everything into it.”
“I had a stage win and a day in the yellow jersey, which was super cool, but in terms of the general classification, it wasn’t exactly where I wanted to be. But that’s how life goes; you have to keep moving forward,” concluded the Australian.