Jai Hindley sees his victory at the Giro d’Italia as an important milestone in the development of his German cycling team Bora-hansgrohe.
“We will be the team that you always have to take into account in the future. The win was massive for the team,” said the Australian in a press conference. The 26-year-old had won the 105th Giro, giving Bora-hansgrohe its first overall victory in a major national tour.
The team’s goal before the Giro was a place on the podium. Hindley also acknowledged that there was probably a lot of pressure on management. “They have changed and invested a lot to become a Grand Tour team,” said Hindley. “It was a big risk and I’m sure there was a lot of pressure on the team leadership to show the sponsors that you can perform in big tours.” Team boss Ralph Denk had replaced the entire sporting management before the season and did not extend the contract with his star professional Peter Sagan.
Hindley is now taking a break and vacationing in Italy. “I booked it before the Giro. I just like the country,” said the climbing specialist. His dream is to one day wear the Tour de France yellow jersey: “I’m not going to say it’s impossible. Why not?”