jai Hindley has been named the Australian cyclist of the year after his Giro d’Italia win drew the nation's gaze toward the sport and made him the clear favourite to be awarded the Sir Hubert Opperman Trophy.
Hindley won the award, known as the Oppy, from among a finalists list that included mountain biker Rebecca McConnell, who came second overall in the World Cup after winning three XCO rounds early in the season, UCI Track Champions League winner Matthew Richardson, triple Commonwealth Games gold medallist Georgia Baker and triple world champion Para-cyclist Emily Petricola.
“Throughout 2022, Australia’s cyclists and riders performed with outstanding success in international and national competition,” said Marne Fechner, AusCycling Chief Executive Officer.
“Achievements such as Rebecca McConnell’s hat-trick of World Cup wins; Matthew Richardson’s rise to the top; and Emily Petricola’s and Georgia Baker’s accomplishments on track and road left us awestruck, inspired and proud to be Australian.
“Jai’s win at the Giro d’Italia was not just a groundbreaking moment for Australian cycling; it was an historic moment in Australian sport.”
When Hindley stepped to the very top of Giro d'Italia podium in May he became the first Australian to do so and also put his name onto the very short list of Australian Grand Tour winners alongside 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans.
“I still can’t believe it, actually. To have my name next to Cadel’s, to be the only Grand Tour winners from Australia, it’s a really crazy feeling,” Hindley said.
“He’s the best cyclist to have come out of Australia, a class rider, and to have my name next to his in some form is a real honour.”
Evans, along with Richie Porte, Anna Meares and Robbie McEwen are among the list of cyclists who have received the Sir Hubert Opperman Trophy in previous years, with the Australian cyclist of the year award having first been handed out in 1958. It is awarded by the nation's governing body to the best all-round performing rider who also displays a high level of sportsmanship and is an ambassador for the sport.
It is the top award, presented alongside 36 others across the cycling categories. They include women's road cyclist of the year, which was won by Grace Brown, and Hindley took out the men's category while the best women's and men's gravel cyclists awards went to Tiffany Cromwell and Nathan Haas.
The best women's track cyclist award went to Baker while the men's award went to the World Championships winning sprint team of Leigh Hoffman, Richardson, Matthew Glaetzer and Thomas Cornish. Petricola took out the women's Para-cyclist of the year award while Alistair Donohoe won the award in the men's category.
The cyclocross awards went to Rebecca Locke and Tom Chapman while McConnell and Luke Meier-Smith took out the men's category.
