Jai Hindley: Primož Roglič transfer will make everyone step up at Bora-Hansgrohe

Jai Hindley has welcomed the arrival of Primož Roglič to Bora-Hansgrohe, telling GCN that the Slovenian’s pedigree in stage racing will raise the bar for everyone on the German team.

Roglič was allowed to break his contract with Jumbo-Visma two years early and seek a new challenge, with Bora-Hansgrohe agreeing terms with the rider on a two-year contract starting in 2024.

• Read more: Bora-Hansgrohe confirm arrival of 'inspirational' Primož Roglič

It’s widely considered that the three-time Vuelta a España and 2023 Giro d’Italia winner will be given complete leadership at the Tour de France for the next two years - an option that has become unavailable to him at Jumbo-Visma given the rise of Jonas Vingegaard.

Hindley, who won the Giro d’Italia in Bora colours in 2022 and won a stage in this year’s Tour de France before finishing in the top-10 overall, welcomed the arrival of another Grand Tour leader on the team.

"That’s pretty exciting, it’s a massive signing for the team and he’s one of the best riders in the world and he’s shown that year after year," Hindley told GCN at the start of Il Lombardia on Saturday.

"I think he’s world-class and when a guy like this comes to a team everyone has to step up, so I think for the team it is a good thing."

• Read more: Wout van Aert forced to change coach as Primož Roglič takes Marc Lamberts to Bora-Hansgrohe

Hindley's role at the Tour de France, and whether he targets the Giro earlier in the season, is still unclear and those decisions are unlikely to be finalised until off-season training camps in December. Discussions will almost certainly have already taken place and the routes for both Grand Tours are set to be unveiled in the coming weeks.

"I’m not sure how we are going to do it with the team, we have to wait for both the Giro and Tour course to be announced but first of all we have to get through the Lombardia for this year. So let’s see what we can do with the team at Lombardia and then focus on next year when it comes," Hindley said.

Hindley also confirmed that he, like the rest of the team, was only notified about Roglič’s arrival just prior to the public announcement last week.

"Everyone heard the rumours and I was informed just before the team made the announcement. So it’s all good," he said.

As for his own season, Hindley had mixed feelings. The Australian built his entire campaign around the Tour de France. He won a stage and moved into the yellow jersey as a result but that lead only lasted a day before illness hampered his chances in the mountains and he slipped to a still-respectable seventh in Paris.

• Read more: ‘That was never the plan’ - Jai Hindley climbs to surprise yellow jersey

“It was up and down a bit, not my best season ever, to be honest," Hindley told GCN.

"The big goal of the year was the Tour and I put everything into that. I had a stage win and a day with the yellow jersey and that was super nice, but in terms of GC it wasn’t really how I wanted to be, but that’s life, you need to keep going."

Reporting by Gianluca Suardi