Australian cycling sensation Jai Hindley has elevated the Tour de France in his aspirational ladder but is unlikely to tackle the biggest race in the world this year.
Still in a daze from his historic triumph at the Giro d’Italia this week, where he became just the second Australia to win a Grand Tour, and seeing his parents for the first time in more than two years, Hindley hasn’t ruled out translating his success to the Tour de France.
But it’s a race he’s never ridden in and just getting a start would be the first step and one more likely to be next year.
“For sure, why not? I’ll never say never,” Hindley said about not just riding in but winning the Tour de France.
“That would be the ultimate dream. I’m definitely not going to say it’s not possible.
“I’ve been a pro now for, this is my fifth year, and I’ve never ridden the Tour so that would be a huge step forward. Not necessarily riding for GC (general classification) but just riding the Tour I think is super special.
“I would love to do that maybe next year I don’t know, but that would be pretty awesome.”
Cadel Evans is the only Australian to win the Tour de France, but Hindley has now joined his hero, the pair in the history books as the only Aussies to win a Grand Tour.
His new place in history is not lost on West Australian Hindley, who watched Evans’ 2011 triumph in France.
“Cadel is a household name in Australia. If you asked the average person on the street who knew nothing about cycling, they‘d still know Cadel Evans,” the 26-year-old shrugged.
“He‘s one of the most important and influential Australian cyclists ever, so to achieve something like he did, that is very, very special.
“2011 was the first time I’d come to race in Europ. I did some racing in Belgium, then went to France to watch the Tour.
“So I was actually on the side of the road with my family watching the race live. Watching on TV was cool, but being there was really crazy. To look back and know I was there watching Cadel win the race was really cool.
“I was also in Belgium when he did the time trial on the second last day (in Grenoble). It was a huge moment for Australian cycling and, for sure, I’ll never forget watching that.”
Hindley, who has targeted the Vuelta a Espana and world championships back home in Australia as his next targets, said his victory and the response he’d received had been “pretty overwhelming”.
“A super positive reaction, it feels like I had the full support of the nation,” he said.
“I just want to say to all the young kids, especially all the kids in Midland Cycling Club (in Perth) where I started and had big dreams of making it big in the sport, that it is possible to make it if you do all the hard work and you want it enough and you dream about it.
“So to all the kids, dream big!”