Saturday, 24 October 2020:
Jai Hindley remains tantalisingly close to becoming only the second Australian ever to win one of cycling's Grand Tours at the Giro d'Italia but the selfless rider from Perth is adamant he will do everything to ensure his Dutch teammate Wilco Kelderman prevails.
The 24-year-old Hindley has been the revelation of the Giro and has arguably looked the strongest rider in the third and final gruelling week as he has moved to within 12 seconds of the lead held by his Team Sunweb leader Kelderman.
With just two stages left in the desperately tight race - a mountainous stage on Saturday that may suit Hindley and a final time trial on Sunday in Milan which will favour Kelderman - the West Australian could still become his country's first-ever winner of the great Italian race.
He has an opportunity to join Cadel Evans, the 2011 Tour de France winner, as the only Aussies ever to earn overall triumphs in the 117-year annals of the Grand Tours - the Giro, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana.
Yet Hindley insists he is still riding for Kelderman. "Mate, he's in the pink jersey. I'm going to put my arse on the line for him," said the Australian after his first-ever Grand Tour stage win on Thursday that has thrust him into unexpected contention.
"I also really like Wilco, and I know the s*** he's gone through in his career with injuries. I respect him as a guy and as a bike rider, and I want him to win this race."
Of his own chances, he is circumspect. "Can I win this Giro? I think realistically for me it's pretty hard at the moment. One, because I want Wilco Kelderman to win, and two, my time trial isn't particularly great at the moment," Hindley said.
"Like I've been saying from the beginning, I'm here for Wilco. He's in the pink and I want him to win."
Hindley could himself even have been wearing the leader's pink jersey - the maglia rosa - in Friday's stage, which was truncated after a riders' protest, if he had pushed more on Thursday's breakthrough stage.
The West Australian had been offered a dilemma on the fearsome slops of the Stelvio when Kelderman cracked and it was initially unclear whether he should go back to help his Dutch leader or push on at the front with fellow general classification contender, young British prospect Tao Geoghegan Hart.
Sunweb chose the latter, which evidently irritated Kelderman. "I think for sure it was better if (Hindley) waited, then I would be further ahead on GC," Kelderman said.
"But he won the stage and now we're both close on GC, so you can see it from both sides. For me, it's maybe less good."
While Team Ineos's Geoghegan Hart is a major threat to both, lying just 15 seconds behind Kelderman and three adrift of Hindley, Kelderman remains confident he will win.
