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Hindley becomes first Aussie to win Giro

Ian ChadbandAAP
Jai Hindley with the Giro d'Italia trophy following his historic triumph in Verona.
Camera IconJai Hindley with the Giro d'Italia trophy following his historic triumph in Verona. Credit: AP

Jai Hindley has pedalled with controlled power into cycling history as Australia's historic first winner of the Giro d'Italia.

In Verona, Hindley wrote a Shakespearean tale of redemption on Sunday, clinching the title in the final time trial of the Grand Tour's 105th edition just 20 months after losing the leader's 'maglia rosa' in a last-day sporting tragedy.

In Milan 2020, the man from Perth was pipped cruelly for the crown by just 39 seconds after he'd also started in the pink jersey for the final race against the clock.

But this time, despite the memory still gnawing at the back of his mind, the West Australian, protected by a substantial one minute 25 second lead and promising to "die for the jersey", wouldn't be denied.

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He negotiated the 17.4km course safely, his total commitment tinged with just a touch of caution, to finish 15th on the stage in 23 minutes 55 seconds.

The only important thing, though, was he was just seven seconds behind nearest challenger, Olympic champion Richard Carapaz.

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"I'm really proud to be Australian and happy to take this one home," said the 26-year-old, who becomes the country's second Grand Tour winner after Cadel Evans, the 2011 Tour de France champion.

Fittingly, it was exactly 20 years to the day since Evans had also become the first Aussie to earn the pink jersey - which he wore for just one day - on his Giro debut.

"It's a beautiful feeling," added Hindley, close to tears of disbelief while still trying to come to terms with a triumph that had looked a serious long-shot at the start of the gruelling three-week, 3445km slog.

For since his 2020 breakthrough, he'd suffered a nightmare series of crashes, illnesses and injuries which had halted his progress, including a horror Giro last year when he abandoned with an agonisingly painful saddle sore.

"Last year was really, really hard and I really fought hard to be back here," said the Spanish-based Hindley, who hasn't seen his family back home in Australia for two-and-a-half years.

"But I didn't know I would be fighting for the win.

"A lot of emotions out there today. I had in the back of my mind what happened in 2020 and I wasn't going to let that happen again. To take the win is really incredible."

Hindley, who joined German team Bora-hansgrohe this season, secured the overall victory convincingly by one minute 18 seconds from Ecuador's Carapaz, who was 10th on the stage, with Spain's Mikel Landa third, 3:24 behind.

Italy's Matteo Sobrero made it another success for Australia as he won the time trial for BikeExchange-Jayco in 22:24 - but all eyes were on Hindley as he was last off the ramp, donned in aerodynamic pink-and-black helmet atop his pink skinsuit top.

He always looked control on the technical route, which featured a fourth-category climb and subsequent descent, and there were no great whoops of delight or histrionics as the quiet, unassuming Hindley just smiled and pumped his fist at the end.

"I knew from the time checks that it was a decent ride but I took the descent pretty cautiously," he said.

This was perfectly understandable, considering his bitter recollection of 2020 when he started the final Milan time trial level on time with Briton Tao Geoghegan Hart but lost out to the superior British time trialler.

But this was a tale of just one gentleman in Verona.

Ineos Grenadiers' Carapaz had beaten Hindley in their last six time trials but the huge gap the Australian had opened up in Saturday's decisive penultimate stage on the Marmolada meant the Ecuadorean was never going to make enough inroads for a perfect 29th birthday present.

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