Hansen signals an end to tough cycling streak
AUSTRALIAN cycling’s ironman Adam Hansen will end his record streak of Grand Tours after the Giro d’Italia, confirming he will not start in July’s Tour de France.
Provided he makes it through the Giro, the Cairns rider will have an outstanding streak of 20 consecutive finishes in the three Grand Tours: the Giro, the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana.
Most cyclists ride one or two of the Grand Tours each year because of the fearsome physical and mental toll.
Hansen, a super domestique at Dutch team Lotto Soudal, is one of the toughest and most respected riders in the professional peloton.
His streak started with the 2012 Vuelta.
Last year, he made it through the Giro despite a suspected broken bone in his hand.
Then he finished the Tour despite a golf ball-sized saddle sore.
“I will do this Giro but then I want to change things around and go for some more results for myself,” Hansen told the cyclingnews website.
“I’m going to take a break and then freshen up, hopefully, over the summer.
“I want to see how doing that will affect my season.”
While he will bypass the July Tour de France, he could return to the Grand Tours later this year at the Vuelta.
Teammate Tim Wellens won stage four of the Giro in Sicily and, as usual, Hansen played an important role.
“Our teammates were very strong today, but especially Adam and Tosh (Van der Sande),” Wellens told Eurosport after his win.
“First Adam did a really long pull so it was perfect, you could relax on the wheel, then Tosh went full (gas).
“We started with a small advantage on the (final) climb, then I could go a bit easier.
“Then at 200m to go I went full and I crossed the line first.”