Jai Hindley, one of just two Australians to have won a Grand Tour, will return to race the Santos Tour Down Under in January.
The 2022 Giro d’Italia champion joins Cadel Evans in an exclusive club of Australian Grand Tour winners. Across his career, the 30-year-old West Australian has claimed six top-10 finishes and three stage wins across the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España.
Hindley will line up in Adelaide with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe after signing a contract extension with the team this year. He’ll be joined by New Zealand teammate Laurence Pithie, who finished third in both the prologue and shortened Willunga stage at this year’s race. The team’s full roster is yet to be confirmed.
The return comes off a strong 2026 season in which Hindley combined the Ardennes Classics with the Giro d’Italia, finishing third overall behind winner Jonas Vingegaard, and the Tour de France where he placed 15th.
South Australian roads are familiar territory for Hindley. He made his Tour Down Under debut with national team UniSA-Australia back in 2017 and has raced the event in 2019, 2020 and 2023.
“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.”
Race Director Stuart O’Grady said the course suits Hindley’s characteristics. “He holds a significant place in Australian cycling history as a Grand Tour winner, and at the age of 30 he remains in the prime of his career so we are getting to see the best of him,” O’Grady said. “His all-round ability is complemented nicely by his ability to climb with the best in the peloton.”
What to expect from the 2027 Tour Down Under
The 2027 Santos Tour Down Under runs from 16–24 January, opening with a bumper weekend featuring the men’s teams presentation, a free concert and rider autograph sessions in the City of Adelaide Tour Village.
This year’s race will make history as the first ever at WorldTour level to hold men’s and women’s racing over the same distance on the same days. The six-stage men’s race runs from 19–24 January alongside the three-stage women’s race from 22–24 January.
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