Mike O'Connor
Jai Hindley has once again delivered on cycling’s biggest stage, securing third place overall at the Giro d’Italia and becoming only the second Australian to record three Grand Tour podium finishes.
In Rome, as Jonas Vingegaard completed his sweep of Grand Tour victories and further cemented his status among the sport’s modern greats, Hindley reinforced his own place in Australian cycling history.
The 30-year-old’s campaign was shaped by resilience. He battled illness during the second week and required antibiotics, but gradually rebuilt his form through the decisive final week of climbing to reclaim a podium position.
His Giro record now reads consistently elite: winner in 2022, runner-up in 2021, and third in this edition.
That consistency now places him in a very small group of Australian riders. Only Cadel Evans, with five Grand Tour podiums, sits ahead of him in terms of sustained top-three finishes across cycling’s three-week races.
“The second week was very hard for me; I was really quite sick. I even had to take antibiotics, but I seem to be back in time,” Hindley said after his late-race resurgence moved him into third overall on stage 19 of 21.
His recovery was one of the defining subplots of the final week, where the general classification was ultimately settled in the high mountains before the largely ceremonial procession into Rome.
The final stage ended in a sprint victory for Italy’s Jonathan Milan, while Vingegaard sealed his fourth Grand Tour title and completed the rare feat of winning all three Grand Tours across his career.
A mechanical issue briefly disrupted his rhythm, but he was able to return to the bunch without consequence, closing out the race safely in third overall, 6:25 behind the winner and just over a minute behind runner-up Felix Gall.
“I haven’t had a good result in a Grand Tour for a long time, and to be fighting for the podium again was really nice,” Hindley said.
“For me, the Grand Tours are the pinnacle of cycling, and being competitive in them is what I train for.”
The race also highlighted the depth of Australian male cycling, even in a Giro that did not produce a stage win from Australian riders for only the second time in a decade.
Early crashes forced withdrawals from Kaden Groves and Jay Vine, but four Australians still finished inside the top 20 overall.
Michael Storer impressed with a career-best seventh at 10:13 down, Ben O’Connor placed 16th at 24:12, and Chris Harper completed the top-20 representation in 17th at 30:43.
Giro d’Italia 2026 – Final General Classification (Top 10)
| Pos | Rider | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonas Vingegaard | Denmark | Winner |
| 2 | Felix Gall | Austria | +5:22 |
| 3 | Jai Hindley | Australia | +6:25 |
| 4 | Thymen Arensman | Netherlands | +7:02 |
| 5 | Derek Gee | Canada | +7:56 |
| 6 | Afonso Eulálio | Portugal | +9:39 |
| 7 | Michael Storer | Australia | +10:13 |
| 8 | Davide Piganzoli | Italy | +10:52 |
| 9 | Damiano Caruso | Italy | +11:24 |
| 10 | Egan Bernal | Colombia | +12:54 |
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Mike O’Connor – A keen cyclist, runner and photographer, Mike O’Connor is the Editor of Bicycling Australia. He manages the BA website and social media, and loves promoting the achievements of Australian cyclists.
