Mike O'Connor
Jai Hindley will return to the Santos Tour Down Under in January, with the 2022 Giro d’Italia winner confirmed to lead Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at the opening WorldTour race of the 2027 season.
The 30-year-old Western Australian is one of only two Australians to have won a Grand Tour, alongside Cadel Evans, and will be among the leading names in the men’s field when racing gets underway in Adelaide.
Hindley last raced the Tour Down Under in 2023, having also appeared in 2017, 2019 and 2020.
He enjoyed a strong 2026 season, finishing third overall at the Giro d’Italia behind Jonas Vingegaard before placing 15th at the Tour de France. He also competed in the Ardennes Classics.
Hindley will be joined by New Zealand teammate Laurence Pithie, who impressed at this year’s Tour Down Under with third-place finishes in both the prologue and the shortened Willunga stage.
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe has yet to announce its full line-up, but the inclusion of Hindley and Pithie gives Australian and New Zealand fans two riders to watch.
“I haven’t raced the Tour Down Under since 2023, so I’m really looking forward to returning,” Hindley said.
“It’s a great way to kick off the season, racing in the Australian summer and on home roads in front of the Aussie fans.
“The support for the Australian riders is always fantastic, and there’s such a great atmosphere around the race.”
Hindley said the support for Australian riders was a highlight of the event and he was looking forward to starting his 2027 campaign with a strong team around him.
Race director Stuart O’Grady believes the course should suit Hindley, particularly given his climbing ability.
“The course suits his characteristics with his all-round ability complemented nicely by his ability to climb with the best in the peloton,” O’Grady said.
The 2027 Tour Down Under runs from January 16-24, with the men’s six-stage race taking place from January 19-24 and the women’s three-stage event from January 22-24.
It will be the first WorldTour event to feature men’s and women’s racing over the same distances on the same days, with the women’s peloton following the same routes as the men on the final three days.
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.
