Australia flexes cycling muscles as four riders power into Giro d’Italia Top 10 | Martin Pegan

Ben O’Connor, Jai Hindley, Michael Storer and Chris Harper are flying the flag with hopes for an overall podium finish, or even a grander prize

Australian men’s cycling appears to be in rude health with four riders sitting in the Top 10 overall at a grand tour for the first time. Chris Harper climbed into 10th place on general classification (GC) at the halfway mark of the Giro d’Italia when crossing the line fourth on stage 11 to Chiavari, alongside compatriots Ben O’Connor (fifth), Jai Hindley (sixth) and Michael Storer (seventh). Australia has never had more than two riders finish a men’s grand tour in the GC Top 10 , with O’Connor and Storer the most recent pair of high finishers at the 2024 Giro.

Three-time grand tour winner Jonas Vingegaard is within striking distance of the maglia rosa at 27 seconds behind leader Afonso Eulálio, and looks the rider to beat with 10 stages to come before the race finishes in Rome. While the Australian quartet would need everything to go right for one of them to finish on the top step ahead of Vingegaard – and even Portuguese surprise packet Eulálio – a place on the podium remains within reach for O’Connor, Storer and 2022 maglia rosa winner Hindley.