Jay Vine Aims for Olympic Selection While Preparing for a Major Comeback in 2024

Australian cycling sensation Jay Vine is poised for a remarkable comeback in the tumultuous landscape of the 2024 cycling season. As he gears up to embark on the roads of redemption, he reflects on a rollercoaster 2023. In 2023, success and losses collided in a whirlwind of a race for Vine. Despite the setbacks, Vine’s unending passion for cycling remains undiminished.

As Vine embraces the thrill of the ride and gears up for the upcoming season, he is awaiting a fresh start. He has been focusing on joining forces with none other than Tadej Pogačar in the Giro. 

Jay Vine’s quest for glory in the 2024 cycling circuit

As the 2024 Giro-Vuelta season is soon to unfold in May in the Piedmont region in North Italy, Jay Vine is fueled by his desire to secure a position in the next race. The 28-year-old cyclist acknowledging the hurdles of the past also narrates what he is expecting from the new season. Vine, in a recent interview with Cycling News, said, “Last year, to be honest, it seemed like I was always going through the motions, trying not to screw up, and every time I got to a race, it was all going well, it all turned to pot”. He further added that for the next season, instead of fixing his eye on the winning pedestal, he is concentrating on what he had loved doing the most: riding and racing. He added, “Anything on top of that is a bonus.” 

In 2023, things did not turn out well for him for several reasons. He ended the UAE Tour with a knee injury. This further affected the Giro d’Italia for him, where a crash and adverse weather conditions dashed his dreams. Subsequently, his hopes in the Vuelta a España evaporated with another withdrawal following a fall. Although the streak of unfortunate incidents continued to unravel before him, he made a strong comeback in the Tour of Turkey security, an extraordinary solo stage 7 win. But this win did not secure him much international attention.

Now, Vine has been focusing in the upcoming season. Sharing his high hopes for a better season, he said, “Hopefully a stage win of something – anything. Hopefully an Olympic selection, too, and hopefully no injuries. I just want to race my bike, do my job well and enjoy it.”

Besides eyeing an Olympic selection, he is also hoping to form a potential winning squad for the Grand Tour with none other than Pogacar. Sharing his aspirations, Vine shared, “Going in there with Tadej, he’s usually a frickin’ favourite to win any race he starts at, so that’s going to be incredible being with the guy who’s 50% on it to win the race overall. It’ll be spectacular”.

Power cycling duo, Vine and Pogačar to aim high for Grand Tour triumphs?

With Pogacar putting his efforts and concentration towards winning Giro d’Italia, Vine does consider this as a reason which would affect his journey at the Giro d’Italia or at the Volta a Catalunya scheduled in March. Vine reflecting on the same said, “I don’t think it’ll take away my chances, Jumbo-Visma just podiumed in a grand Tour with three guys, and the same goes in Catalunya. Especially if you have three climbing days, it should be pretty straightforward”.

Read More: Tadej Pogacar Becomes World Tour’s Top Earner With $6,540,000 Salary

The possibility of Vine and Pogačar’s collaborating for the upcoming season of Giro has already created a buzz among cycling enthusiasts. The thrill of witnessing the two together in the peloton adds excitement to the unfolding drama of the 2024 cycling season. 

Will this dynamic duo conquer the challenges, or will the road to redemption take unexpected twists? Share your thoughts on the same with us in the comment section below. 

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