Tour de France 2023; who is Australian cyclist Jai Hindley, as he takes the yellow jersey at the Stage 5 mark?

Stage 5 of the 2023 Tour de France has been completed and with his win and 32 seconds advantage over his nearest rival, Australian rider Jai Hindley will be adorning the hallowed yellow jersey ahead of Stage 6, taking place between Tarbes and Cauterets-Cambasque later today. 

Stage 5 played very much into the strengths of Hindley, who even when making his debut at an under-23 level was viewed as one of the best future mountain cyclists and part of a sect of Australia cyclists who have been progressively taking over cycling competitions throughout the best part of the last five years. 

Hindley can also boast that he has a 47-second lead in the General Classification ranking of the Tour de France at this stage, with his nearest competitor being the 2022 Tour de France winner, Jonas Vingegaard from Denmark. Britain’s hope during the competition, Adam Yates, is currently sitting in fourth place, with high expectations on the Brit riding high after the surprise omission of Chris Froome from Israel Premier Tech’s eight-rider squad for this year’s race.

But with Tarbes and Cauterets-Cambasque being another mountainous stage, Hindley might very well get a chance to wear that yellow jersey going into Stage 7, with a further seven mountainous courses to come ahead of the final race and the finish line at the Champs-Élysées in Paris on July 23.

So who is the young cycling sensation Jai Hindley, and how did he arrive at the biggest cycling event in the world from his humble beginnings growing up in the Western-most city in Australia, Perth?

Who is Jai Hindley?

Born on May 5 1996, Jai Hindley developed a passion for cycling at a young age. At the age of 20, he turned professional with the Taiwan-based Attaque Team Gusto. As an under-23 rider, Hindley began showcasing his talents as a climber and quickly caught the attention of cycling enthusiasts and experts.

His performance in the Tour de l'Avenir, often referred to as the under-23 Tour de France, stood out at this early stage of his career; despite fierce competition, Hindley demonstrated his climbing prowess and finished an impressive fifth in the overall classification. This led to his first significant move, joining Mitchelton Scott, the development team of Team BikeExchange - Jayco.

After making his debut in a Grand Tour at the Giro d'Italia in 2019, Jai Hindley began to gain recognition for his climbing abilities and determination on the bike. While his overall finish in 35th position may not have garnered significant attention, it was a valuable learning experience that set the stage for his future successes as a climbing rider. In the same year, Hindley demonstrated his potential with a strong performance at the Tour de Pologne event; during the Queen Stage managed to make it into the winning move, showcasing his resilience and tenacity in the mountains.

But it would be 2020 that marked a breakthrough for Hindley; he kicked off the season with an impressive performance at the Herald Sun Tour, where he won both mountain stages and secured the overall classification. Hindley's primary target in 2020 was the Giro d'Italia, where at this stage he joined Team Sunweb.

Hindley once again showcased his climbing abilities and throughout the first week of the race, he demonstrated excellent form and consistently remained within the top 10 riders.

It was on stage 15 to Piancavallo that Hindley truly made his mark. As Team Sunweb set an incredibly high pace to drop the race leader, Hindley took charge and led the way for most of the climb. This strong performance resulted in significant differences in the overall classification, propelling him from 10th to an impressive 3rd position. Though Hindley stumbled at the last time trial, his prominent campaign led to a second-place finish overall, capping off a breakthrough performance in the Giro d'Italia.

In 2021, Hindley had a challenging season with limited notable results. He participated in the Giro d'Italia but was forced to abandon the race during the 14th stage. However, he managed a 7th place finish at the Tour de Pologne as the highlight of his season.

But 2022 marked a significant resurgence for Hindley. He showcased strong form with a fifth-place finish at Tirreno-Adriatico and continued his impressive performance in the Giro d'Italia. Hindley secured a stage victory on the demanding Blockhaus climb and finished second on stage 14, propelling him to second place in the overall classification. He further solidified his dominance by winning the gruelling stage 20, ultimately securing the pink jersey and the overall victory in the Giro d'Italia.

What is Jai Hindley’s net worth?

Jai Hindley’s net worth is estimated to be $5 million USD, with an annual salary consisting of £429,892.00 per year according to Wage Indicator. These are however estimates, and may not include sponsorship deals.