As Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) was likely trying to sleep ahead of his final Giro d'Italia test on Sunday, half a world away a group of juniors from the Midland Cycle Club were competing for a trophy that was already emblazoned with his name.
There may well have been an extra buzz of excitement, and some pink tinged dreams as the field of young cyclists lined up south of Perth for the time trial, road race and criterium of the Peel Junior Tour, as one of their own was set to become only the second Australian Grand Tour winner in history.
At the race an excited message of encouragement from a group of juniors from his childhood club was recorded and sent to Hindley as he prepared for the biggest moment of his career to date in Verona. It may have been a dream unfolding a full day's flight away, but it hit close to home this time. A decade ago the rider who was living that dream and soon to have his name added to the elaborate Trofeo Senza Fine of the Giro d'Italia had been standing where the juniors were near Perth, having his name engraved on the trophy in front of them.
"This is what we need,” President of the Midland Cycle Club James Buchanan told Cyclingnews. “We need our cycling heroes."
In a nation where grassroots participation and media attention dedicated to top level competition revolves around ball sports it can be hard both for cycling to get a look in, and for the teenagers who are deciding whether they will stay in the sport to see a viable pathway.
Hindley himself gave rugby a go before settling on cycling. But once he did he was fortunate to end up at a club that had a raft of examples that showed that while a cycling career may not be easy, it was possible.
The Midland Cycle Club has a long list of members who moved onto the professional peloton, including Cameron and Travis Meyer, Luke Durbridge, Michael Storer, Jessica Allen and – a person who Hindley recently said was the rider who provided him with inspiration – friend and former teammate Robert Power.
Getting new riders to join the club, which Buchanan described as Western Australia’s premier club for juniors, is probably now going to be that bit easier as Hindley’s historic win has brought a level of attention to the sport in Australia that hasn't really been seen since Cadel Evans made it to the top step at the Tour de France.
Buchanan said he’d fielded a number of calls, including from the national broadcaster and also had a commercial channel out at the club just before this interview. The sport pages of the West Australian, usually dominated by football, even gave Hindley the top billing, with the title ‘Giro hero! West Aussie makes history with cycling triumph’.
The club, which was formed in 1900, is also holding an appreciation night to celebrate Hindley’s victory on Wednesday and is even looking at potentially changing its colours – red black and yellow – to add a tinge of pink.
"We got a new cycling hero,” said Buchanan. “It's a monumental milestone event for Jai Hindley and if it can result in more kids going 'Mum, Dad, I want to give cycling a go’ that's where all cycling will win."
