Australia’s Jai Hindley wins fifth stage of 2023 Tour de France to take yellow jersey overall leader
Aussie Jai Hindley wins stage five of the Tour de France and takes the yellow jersey on his debut in the world’s toughest race – revealing the emotional moment that drove him to do it
- Hindley broke away in the Pyrenees to win
- The win marks him as a key contender for the title
- Aussie had a great moment just before starting the climb
Australian Jai Hindley has said he is ‘lost for words’ after a shock Tour de France stage win earned him the leader’s yellow jersey.
On his debut in cycling’s most important race, the Perth rider broke away in the Pyrenees to win stage five.
“It’s really unbelievable and I have no words for it,” said Hindley. “The guys on the radio were screaming… I just wanted to gain and win as much time as possible.
‘I didn’t really know what to expect, it’s my first tour. It’s hard to come here with such a huge ambition (to win it), but I want to be competitive and have some form of success and yes, I just won a stage of the Tour de France.”
Adding to his delight was the presence of his parents, whom the 27-year-old saw on the route before embarking on his final, solo break.
The 27-year-old’s shock stage win marks him as a key contender to take the Tour de France title. He now has a lead of 47 seconds over defending champion Jonas Vingegaard
“On the Soudet I started thinking about a stage win, at the bottom of the climb I also saw my parents, which was very special and emotional,” said Hindley.
“When I attacked, everything went so fast, I knew I had a good chance, but I really started to believe in the home straight.”
By winning the 162.4km mountain stage from Pau to Laruns on Wednesday to take the lead from Britain’s Adam Yates, Hindley has marked himself as a major contender.
Last year’s Giro d’Italia winner is now in the lead of defending champion Jonas Vingegaard, who finished fifth on the podium 47 seconds behind Hindley.
Vingegaard left two-time winner Tadej Pogacar behind on the final climb about two kilometers from the top.
“He was just too fast on the climb. I tried to hold on to the top, but he was really, really strong. What an attack,’ Pogacar said of Vingegaard’s belated burst.
“You can’t do anything if someone is stronger than you.”
Pogacar, who is a minute and 40 seconds behind Hindley, is now sixth with former leader Yates a few seconds ahead of fifth.
The Aussie had an emotional moment when he saw his parents standing on the side of the track just before he started his climb through the Pyrenees
A vanquished Hindley was left lost for words after his shock win on stage five
The Tour’s first proper mountain battle lit up the race as Hindley found himself in an early 36-man breakaway with rival teams pressuring Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates to close the gap in what turned out to be a fascinating tactical battle.
They struggled to do this as the break took a whopping four minutes off the Col de Soudet half way through the stage.
Although the advantage would later tumble, BORA-Hansgrohe rider Hindley pulled away from his breakaway companions on the final climb of the Col de Marie Blanque for a key win.
‘I can not believe it. I was quite surprised to find myself in that group,” Hindley added.
“I just sort of slipped into it. I had a little fun, then looked back and there was no group behind, so I thought, ‘I think we’re going to do a bike race’.
“The gap grew initially and I was maybe trying to get a little bit of a buffer on the GC men (general classification) and then I started thinking about the stage win.”
Thursday’s sixth stage is another 144.9km mountain stage between Tarbes and Cauterets with tough climbs on the Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet.