Jai Hindley will return to the Santos Tour Down Under in January 2027 for his first appearance at the race in four years. The Australian, who won the Giro d’Italia in 2022, has been confirmed for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe alongside New Zealand teammate Laurence Pithie as the Adelaide event prepares to open the men’s WorldTour season.
The 30-year-old last raced in South Australia in 2023 and has since added another Grand Tour podium to his record. The organiser confirmed his return on Tuesday, 10 November, although Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have yet to name their complete seven-rider squad.
Hindley returns after Giro d’Italia podium
Hindley was third overall at the 2026 Giro d’Italia, finishing behind Jonas Vingegaard, before riding the Tour de France and finishing 15th in the general classification. That came four years after he became the second Australian to win a men’s Grand Tour, following Cadel Evans’ Tour de France victory in 2011.
His 2026 campaign reinforced his ability to handle three-week races, while the decision to start in Adelaide suggests a different opening to his season. He extended his contract with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe during the summer, remaining part of a team with several established general classification leaders.
“I haven’t raced the Tour Down Under since 2023, so I’m really looking forward to returning,” Hindley said. He added that racing on home roads in the Australian summer, with strong support for local riders, made the event an appealing start to the year.
The Perth-born climber made his Tour Down Under debut with the UniSA-Australia national selection in 2017, before returning in 2019, 2020 and 2023. His presence gives the organisers a recognisable Australian contender, although his precise role and ambitions for the overall classification will become clearer when the full team and programme are announced.
A more selective route could suit the Australian
The men’s six-stage race runs from Tuesday, 19 January to Sunday, 24 January. The opening road stage from Henley Beach to Gumeracha will tackle Checker Hill three times, an unusually demanding first day that could create gaps among the general classification hopefuls before the race reaches its traditional decisive climbs.
Willunga Hill returns on the penultimate stage, with a summit finish after two ascents, before a final day in the Adelaide Hills ending in Stirling. The climbing gives Hindley terrain on which to influence the race, but the presence of fast finishers and short explosive climbs also means it will not simply be a test of sustained mountain power.
Race director Stuart O’Grady believes the course is suited to Hindley, citing his climbing and all-round ability. Pithie is another rider worth watching: the New Zealander finished third in both the prologue and the shortened Willunga stage at the 2026 edition, and could provide the team with an option on faster or more technical days.
Men and women to race identical routes over final three days
The 2027 Tour Down Under will introduce a format that places men’s and women’s WorldTour racing on the same roads, over the same distances, on the same days from 22 to 24 January. The women will contest three stages while the men complete the final three days of their six-stage race.
Those shared stages will take the pelotons from Glenelg to Victor Harbor on 22 January, from Christies Beach to Willunga Hill on 23 January, and into Stirling for the final day on 24 January. The wider Tour Down Under festival begins on Saturday, 16 January, with team presentations and fan events ahead of the racing.
