06 Sep 2021
28-year-old Jack Haig has achieved the biggest victory in his pro cycling career after placing third on the podium at the Vuelta a España.
It is the first Grand Tour GC podium for the Bahrain-Victorious rider who hadn’t planned to race in the three-week Grand Tour.
“Coming into the Vuelta, 10 days before it started I didn’t even know I was going to be here”
It’s been a big year for the Victorian born cyclist who fell victim to the serious stage 3 crash in the Tour De France earlier this year. Haig abandoned the race after the crash left him with a fractured collarbone and concussion, which also knocked him out of the Tokyo Olympics.
“The surgery I needed was worse than I expected. And when I came here, it was to do my best to help Mikel. A podium was definitely not even considered.”
Haig is the first Australian in 12 years to podium at the Spanish race since Cadel Evens in 2009.
“I’d like to thank everyone in Australia who stayed up to support me and hopefully more things can come. Cadel went on to do amazing things after his Vuelta podium and if I can do even half of what he did, I’d be very satisfied.”
