Richie Porte's retirement may be the last winner of a World Tour race to disappear from the Santos Tour Down Under in 2023, but local fans are hoping that another Australian can fill the void The hope is that other Australians can fill the void.

The Giro d'Italia winner will be making his fourth appearance in the Tour Down Under, but due to COVID-19, there has not been a South Australian race since Porte was crowned in 2020.

When Hindley first competed in the Tour Down Under in 2017, finishing 25th, he was on the Australian national team and lined up for his first World Tour event; in 2019, he finished 18th on Team Sunweb, supporting Chris Hamilton In 2019, he placed 18th on Team Sunweb supporting Chris Hamilton. And in 2020, he matched that ranking, closing out the Australian summer racing with a win on the Jayco Herald Sun Tour.

This 2020 Australian summer victory capped a breakthrough year that revealed the true potential of Perth-born Hindley, who finished second in the Giro d'Italia. 2011 marked the first time since Cadel Evans won the Tour de France that Australia had a Grand Tour winner since Cadel Evans won the Tour de France in 2011.

"I've spent most of the season in Europe, so it's nice to be back racing in front of my Australian fans. 2022 was a big year for me, so I'm looking forward to starting the 2023 season with a strong performance in Adelaide."

The 2023 Tour Down Under will mark the 26-year-old Hindley's return to international racing after more than three months blank. Hindley's off-season began immediately after the Road World Championships in Wollongong in September.

"I still can't believe I won the Giro and won a stage," he said. 'Personally I had a good year. It was a tough year, especially last year, and it was really cool to win a Grand Tour in my first year with a new team."

This will be Hindley's first Tour Down Under with Bora-Hansgrohe, and while the other teams surrounding him have yet to be announced, he is sure to be the center of attention in the overall and mountain stages. The Willunga climb, synonymous with Porte's six consecutive victories, will not be there this year, but that does not mean that there will not be challenging uphill stages.

"The course is very attractive to Jai, especially the three tricky climbs through the Adelaide Hills on stage 3," said Tour Down Under race director Stuart O'Grady.

Stage 3 from Norwood to Campbeltown includes Norton Summit, Checkers Hill, and Corkscrew Road, with more than 2,400 meters of climbing. This stage is expected to be pivotal in shaping the race leader's battle for the ochre jersey, as well as a challenging final stage that will challenge Mount Lofty multiple times before finishing at the summit.