“Adapt or die!”

“You adapt or you die”, this is the plastic and tough description he makes Jai Hindley cycling today. The 29-year-old climber became in 2022 the first Australian to win in Tour of Italyafter pedaling hard in the first two weeks, won a high mountain stage, and in the final part forced decisively in the penultimate mountain round. Before him, only another compatriot, Cadel Evanshe had conquered another Grand Tour, that of France, in 2011.

At the press day of his team, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, he spoke at length and pointedly about the current state of the sport he practices. “It's not just the Grand Tours that are more brutal, everything is like that,” he pointed out. “The races are getting faster and faster and it's clear that nothing is getting easier,” he added.

Jai Hindley: 'It's probably eight or nine years'

“You have to be 100 percent focused in the key moments because the pace has changed a lot,” Jai said, as quoted by As. He also believes that drivers younger than him right now will have shorter careers. “It's probably eight or nine years. I don't expect guys to be able to sustain that intensity for 10-15 years like they used to“.

Also explain why. “Everything goes to the absolute limit. It's a brutal sport anyway, but honestly, if you want to compete and be there in the battle, you have to give your best and not even 1 percent less. And no, you can't resist. Like I said, you either adapt and do your best, or you get left behind”, Hindley gave the verdict.

The rider from Antipozi finished fourth overall in the 2025 Tour of Spain, his best result in a Grand Tour in more than two seasons. He was very close to the podium, missing 30 seconds, and third place went to Tom Pidcock. However, the athlete from Bora frankly admitted that he needed that 4th place.

He is currently one of only 12 active Grand Tour winners, but four years have passed since his triumph and oblivion is fast setting in. His team is also not sitting still, he brought in a “heavyweight” like Remco Evenepoel, and Hindley found himself exposed, almost losing his place in the hierarchy.

Jai Hindley: 'We needed a good result'

“I'm absolutely honest, I really needed a good result in a big competition. It's been a while since I produced something significant, probably since 2023 – the Tour de France 2024 was very tough, then I fell in the Giro 2025. Yes, I needed that result, for me,” he elaborated.

Jai Hindley with the trophy from Il Giro, 2022 edition Photo: Imago Images

It was nice to be close to the podium in a very competitive tour, especially in the last week. I got a lot of good stuff out of there and I think there's more to come – Jai Hindley

In December's training camp, he shared the room with Evenepoel and seems to have taken the opportunity as an exciting one rather than a blow to his leadership status at Red Bull-Bora.

“At the end of the day, you can be the weakest team in the world, where you can have all the opportunities you want, but it all depends on where you find the balance,” he says. “But being one of the best teams – or trying to be – also gives you a lot as a driver, it all depends on how you look at it“, he added.

“If you are pessimistic, you can think: «Damn, it's these guys now, I won't have room» or you can say: «OK, guys are in the team, now I have to raise my level and be as consistent as possible». So, yes, I'm optimistic,” concluded Hindley, who also has a 2nd place overall in Il Giro 2020.