All the news and analysis from the 2023 Tour de France
Australian cycling star Jai Hindley has completed a childhood dream, taking out stage five of the Tour de France to claim the overall leader’s yellow jersey.
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Australian Jai Hindley crossed the line alone to win stage five of the Tour de France on Wednesday to take the overall leader’s yellow jersey as defending champion Jonas Vingegaard won a tactical battle with key rival Tadej Pogacar.
After joining an early escape as the peloton left Pau, the gateway to the Pyrenees, at frantic speed, Hindley eventually shook off his breakaway rivals on the final Col de Marie Blanque climb.
“F*** yeah,” Hindley exclaimed as he celebrated his stage victory.
💠Listen to @JaiHindley's beautiful first words after his first Tour de France stage win today 😂
— Tour de Franceâ„¢ (@LeTour) July 5, 2023
💠Ecoutez les superbes premiers mots de @JaiHindley après sa première victoire d'étape sur le Tour de France ! 😂#TDF2023 - @Continental_frpic.twitter.com/T6nbLbuAMK
At the village of Laruns the 27-year-old raised his arms to the sky and finished 32 seconds ahead of Italy’s Giulio Ciccone and Austrian Felix Gall with Vingegaard fifth at 34sec.
Ciccone climbed to third in the overall with his second place. The Italian held the yellow jersey briefly in 2019 after a breakaway on the Planche des Belles Filles climb.
The stage winner said he had been ready should an opportunity arise on this first relatively benign foray into the mountains.
"Just won a stage at the #TDF2023 mate" - 🇦🇺 Jai Hindley
— Tour de Franceâ„¢ (@LeTour) July 5, 2023
Check out the interview with stage winner and new @MaillotjauneLCL, Jai Hindley ⬇ï¸â¬‡ï¸ #TDF2023@BORAhansgrohepic.twitter.com/WBbm60AnAz
“I’m here for the overall win and the aim was to put as much time as possible into the others,” said Hindley.
“It has been a dream since I was six years old but I never thought I’d find myself in the yellow jersey,” he said.
“It was chaotic behind with different teams riding with various aims. I got the win and the lead so I’m delighted, it’s going to be a crazy bike race.
“I just won a stage of the Tour de France. It’s pretty incredible”
💪 A solo win for Jai Hindley + the Yellow Jersey! Relive last kilometer of Stage 5 👀
— Tour de Franceâ„¢ (@LeTour) July 5, 2023
💛 Une victoire en costaud pour Jai Hindley qui en profite pour revêtir le Maillot Jaune ! Revivez le dernier kilomètre de l'étape 5 📹#TDF2023pic.twitter.com/1EhWYASzup
Hindley’s feat however was overshadowed by Vingegaard’s show of class as the Dane pulled off a major coup on the final mountain to carve a 53-second advantage over Pogacar in the overall standings.
The anticipated duel between the pair has been the main focus on the Tour so far, but now Bora-Hansgrohe rider Hindley, the 2022 Giro d’Italia winner, has stolen some of that thunder.
JUMBO TACTICAL LESSON
Vingegaard’s Jumbo-Visma stunned the UAE Team when Wout Van Aert dropped back from an early break and led Vingegaard uphill with an impressive 500m pull.
Jumbo climber Sepp Kuss then took the relay until he too peeled away before Vingegaard broke free and put the hammer down over the remaining 15km to the finish line.
Vingegaard expressed surprise at how Pogacar struggled.
“On paper this didn’t look like it was going to be a good day for me, but on the last climb I knew I had the legs,” said the defending champion.
“I was surprised Pogacar didn’t manage to follow, even if I was doing it to test him.”
Van Aert was awarded the day’s combativity prize.
“It was a really hard day,” admitted Van Aert, one of the stars of the peloton with three stage wins in last year’s race.
“This puts pressure on them (Team UAE),” he said. “Hindley and Ciccone got away from us, but I was holding back to help Jonas,” he explained.
Meanwhile UAE Team rider Pogacar, the 2020 and 2021 champion, was left isolated as overnight leader Adam Yates appeared unable to help in the chase.
“It’s not lost yet,” said Pogacar, who broke a wrist in April and missed some key training time in the saddle.
“He (Vingegaard) was much faster on that climb. He was really strong and there was just nothing you can do,” he said.
“It’s a blow but it’s only the first mountain stage, we shall keep fighting and try to win back time.”
On Thursday, trademark Tour climbs Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet will mark out stage six as the toughest test so far with further tremors expected on the second mountain day over 145km from Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque.
But those two ascents make only 30km and are only part of the story with a 16km slog to a summit finish coming after an epic descent from the 2,115-metre altitude Tourmalet.
- AFP
Biggest challenge to Aussie’s hopes of glory in the Tour
Australian cycling legend Stuart O’Grady says whether Jai Hindley can handle the different pressure the Tour de France brings will be vital if he can contend for the yellow jersey.
Hindley headlines the Australian contingent competing in the biggest cycling race in the world, with a record-equalling 12 riders tackling this year’s Tour – which begins on Saturday.
In his Tour debut Hindley is expected to be at the very least a contender for a podium after the Bora-Hansgrohe rider became the first Australian to win the Giro D’Italia and the second after Cadel Evans to win a Grand Tour last year.
He comes into the Tour on the back of a fourth placed finish at the Criterium du Dauphine this month, with fellow Australians Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citröen Team) and Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious) finishing third and fifth respectively.
O’Grady, who won two Tour stages and wore the yellow jersey in 1998 and 2001, said it was incredible for three Australians to finish in the top five at the race considered the warm-up for the Tour.
“I can’t ever recall that happening before,” he said.
“Yes we have had Cadel and Richie Porte but to have three genuine GC contenders heading into the Tour de France it is super exciting for Aussie cycling.”
O’Grady, who is in France following the race as part of his role as race director of the Tour Down Under, said whether Hindley can join Evans and Porte on the podium in Paris would be determined by whether he can handle the increased pressure in the biggest race in the world.
“It is going to be interesting, obviously Jai coming off his giro win last year I think he will be the first to say that the Tour de France is just another level, the pressure to have (Tadej) Pogacar in there, to have (Jonas) Vingegaard in there, (Wout) van Aert, this is the big one.
“It will be really interesting to see how Jai handles that pressure of going to the Tour de France level.
“The Giro is almost a little bit more relaxed, certainly the climbing isn’t the Dolomites are harder than ever.
“But it is the Tour de France stress, it is the stress from when you first arrive before the first stage, it is the world media, the fans on the side of the road.
“It is extremely intense for three weeks.
“It is going to be a great test for Jai and it is hopefully one where we can see another Aussie on the podium.”
Hindley isn’t Australia’s only chance for the GC this year.
After a disappointing Tour last year in which he battled an injury following a crash, O’Connor looks to be back to the form that saw him finish fourth in the 2021 edition of the race.
“For a guy who rode his first Tour de France and finished fourth, an absolutely insane result, that in itself kind of flew under the radar and then last year he didn’t get off to a great start,” O’Grady said.
“He had a bit of an accident and got caught behind on the cobble section, there is none of that on this year’s Tour, it is more of a traditional.
“It is more of a traditional Tour de France where there is a lot of climbing, lots of mountains and none of the crazy cobbles which end a lot of the GC hopes.
“Again it will be great to see how Ben handles it, he is the team leader for AG2R Citröen and being the team leader for a French team there is a lot of pressure that comes with that.”
Haig rode the Giro so is it is unlikely he will be Bahrain Victorious’ main chance in France.
Outside of the GC riders, speed machine Caleb Ewan will be looking for some stage wins after a disappointing Tour last year, while Simon Clarke will be looking for his second stage win in the iconic race after his maiden win last year.
2023 Tour de France guide
WHO ARE THE AUSSIES COMPETING
Simon Clarke Israel-Premier Tech, Matt Dinham Team DSM-Firmenich, Luke Durbridge Jayco-AlUla, Alex Edmondson Team DSM-Firmenich, Caleb Ewan Lotto-Dstny, Jack Haig Bahrain Victorious, Chris Hamilton Team DSM-Firmenich, Chris Harper Jayco-AlUla, Jai Hindley Bora-Hansgrohe, Ben O’Connor AG2R Citröen Team, Nick Schultz Israel-Premier Tech, Sam Welsford Team DSM-Firmenich
WHO ARE THE AUSSIE CONTENDERS
Australia’s best chance for the yellow jersey looks set to be Hindley. He has said there might not be a route that suits him as much as this year’s with plenty of mountains and just the one time trial – and even that is considered to be a hilly one. After Hindley O’Connor is Australia’s next best bet with the Western Australian looking back to his best after a poor showing last year. Haig has contended for Grand Tour’s in the past but he is set to be a super domestique for his team. When it comes to the individual stages, Ewan will be looking to show his incredible speed.
WHO ARE THE MAIN YELLOW JERSEY THREATS
Many are considering this year’s Tour to be a two-horse race between defending champion Vingegaard of Denmark and two-time yellow jersey winner Pogacar of Slovenia. The battle between the two last year was thrilling as Vinegaard and his Jumbo Visma team continued to attack Pogacar and was able to break him. The two come into this year’s race in different circumstances. Pogacar started the season on fire and despite being a GC rider was either winning or contending in classic races earlier this year before he fractured his wrist in a crash. But he said it came at the perfect time for his Tour chances. Vingegaard was completely dominant in the Dauphine earlier this month. Outside of those two, Haig’s teammate Mikel Landa is expected to feature heavily while David Gaudu was fourth last year.
WHAT ARE THE CRUCIAL STAGES
Stage Six – Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque (144.9KM) – The Tour will have its earliest finish in the Pyrenees since 1981 but before the peloton makes it there they will have to tackle the iconic and punishing Col du Tourmalet. This should give us an early indication of who is in the mix for the yellow jersey.
Stage Nine – Saint-Leonard-De-Noblat to Puy de Dome (184KM) – For the first time since 1988 the Tour returns to the Puy de Dome and with the stage coming right before a rest day expect plenty of attacks on the final climb up the 1,465m dormant volcano.
Stage 16 – Passy – Combloux (22km) – The only individual time trial of this year’s Tour. And even this one is considered to be “lumpy”, which is why this year’s route suits Hindley – known for his climbing rather than time trialling – so much. It should suit Pogacar a lot but it could also allow Hindley to keep his hopes alive.
Stage 17 – Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc-Courchevel (166km) – With 5000m of altitude gain this stage coming in the third week of the race is arguably the toughest of this year’s Tour. Making it so tough are four classified climbs, headlined by the Col de la Loze – a gruelling 28.4km climb with an average gradient of six per cent that is rated as the hardest cycling climb in France.
Stage 20 – Belfort – Le Markstein Fellering (133 km) – This will be the final day someone can win, or lose, the yellow jersey with the next day the straightforward cruise into Paris to finish the race. On the final showdown there will be five classified ascents across the route, with a total of 3600m of climbing.
Originally published as All the news and analysis from the 2023 Tour de France
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