Jai Hindley may have just turned his last pedal stroke in an edition of the Giro d'Italia that saw the Australian return to a Grand Tour podium for the first time in four years, but already the thoughts are starting to turn to what's next.
First there has to be some savouring, for both Hindley and his team, after the 30-year-old salvaged Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe's Giro – where he started out as joint leader with Giulio Pellizzari.
"It’s incredibly difficult to achieve any kind of result in cycling these days. It’s been a while since I last stood on the podium at a Grand Tour, since I won the Giro.
Latest Videos From
"That’s why it’s something really special to have made it onto the podium here again, I'm proud," said Hindley in a team statement after fighting back from illness to rise to the podium steps in the final challenging week of racing.
The Western Australian's recovery and rise became even more crucial to the team when co-leader Pellizzari plunged out of the top ten ahead of that final week, and the squad with high hopes had not so much as a stage win to show for the team's Giro foray.
"The fact that Jai managed to weather the storm and draw on all his experience to simply fight his way through is something to be proud of," Zak Dempster, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe Chief of Sports said in a statement. "Admittedly, it was a Giro where we would have liked more in some respects, particularly when it comes to stage wins.
"At the same time, given the lads’ state of health, this is the lesson we’ve learnt: no matter how hopeless the situation seems, there’s always a way out if the team supports each other so strongly and keeps the ship afloat."
The fact that not only Hindley's form, but also experience and resilience when things don't go quite to plan, was highlighted probably won't do him any harm as he looks toward his next hoped for objective.
"Originally there was talk of me doing the Tour to support a couple of big dogs there, so I would really love to do the Tour with the team that we take there," Hindley told reporters in an interview on Cycling Pro Net after the final stage. "I think it would be really cool to be a part of that squad. But, yeah, we will see how it is after this."
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe mapped out their plans in December for a two-pronged attack at the Tour de France with Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz. Hindley may not have exactly staked his claim for a support role with his results earlier in the season, after a forced late start, but a Grand Tour podium is possibly the best three-week-long pitch a rider can make..
"I didn't do so many races before the Giro. Honestly, I mean I'm pretty tired but I feel fresher than I ever have at the end of a Giro, surprisingly," he said with a laugh.
"But I think it's due to a lot less race days. I was quite sick at the start of the year, had to push the season start back a bit. Maybe that helped to be a bit fresher here."
That also, added Hindley, is another reason why he feels ready to follow his Giro d'Italia up with the an effort in France.
"If I have a week on the couch and then try and start training again I think it would be nice to do the Tour," he reiterated.
It's not over! Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our Giro d'Italia Women coverage. Don't miss any of the breaking news, reports, and analysis from one of the biggest women's stage races of the season. Find out more.
