Australian impresses with second place overall at Herald Sun Tour
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Jai Hindley (Australia) remains the best young rider with one stage to come(Image credit: Con Chronis)
Best young rider and second place overall for Jai Hindley of the national team(Image credit: Con Chronis)
Jai Hindley (Australia)(Image credit: Con Chronis)
Best young rider Jai Hindley (Australia)(Image credit: Con Chronis)
Best young rider Jai Hindley (Australian national team)(Image credit: Con Chronis)
Jai Hindley proved age to be no barrier as the 20-year-old came out of the Herald Sun Tour with his reputation as a young rider to watch well and truly enhanced.
Hindley, riding with the Australian national team, set up his second place overall and white jersey win with second place on the 29km climb up Falls Creek. The West Australian attacked late in the stage to ride away from the likes of Chris Froome and Esteban Chaves but couldn't catch Damien Howson.
The virtual leader of the race on stage 2 when Howson punctured and only caught the front group inside the final kilometre, Hindley was unable to overcome the Orica-Scott man for an upset victory. However, Hindley was still pleasured with both performances and second place overall at 38 seconds to Howson.
"I can't be disappointed with the white jersey and second overall. It would have been good to take the yellow but we had a pretty young team and all the guys were riding awesome. I am pretty rapt with the end result," said Hindley.
Due to an oil spill on the Kinglake climb for the final day circuit race, the race commissaires decided that GC time would be taken at the top of the KOM. A decision that didn't influence the overall outcome, nor limit the chance to attack explained Hindley.
"It was going to be pretty hard to change the GC at the end of the day as the climb was solid but it was just so fast the whole time I don't think anyone could really get away and keep the gap because of the tailwind. It just made it easier that the finish was there and I didn't have to worry about losing my position," he said.
"We did what we could and everyone still had a good crack."
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Last year's best young rider in the race, Chris Hamilton, is into the first year of a three-year deal with Team Sunweb. When it was put to Hindley that there would be interest in him after the results and aims to join a WorldTour team, he said "that's the dream."
"I am keen to do another year as an under 23 at least and see where I get with that and maybe even another year after that. I don't want to rush the development side of things."
Despite his Australian success, which included making his debut in a WorldTour race, Hindley's main objectives are in Europe later in the season. The winner of GP Capodarco, second at An Post Ras and fifth at Tour de l'Avenir, Hindley is hoping the experience of 2016 will see him go onto bigger results in 2017.
"We'll go there this year with a stronger team and more experience I guess and see what we can do. It would be unreal to get on the podium at l'Avenir but we'll see what the year brings."
