Jai Hindley was the last men's winner atop Blockhaus at the Giro d'Italia in 2022, but his connection with the Abruzzese ascent goes back much further, having lived in the region as an amateur for six months in 2015.
Four years ago, Hindley's Blockhaus stage win set him on the path towards the overall pink jersey victory in Verona, but it was while cutting his teeth on amateur team Aran Cucine Vejus that he had his first experience of the climb that will punctuate Friday's stage 7.
