Aussie Adam Hansen to equal cycling’s Grand Tour record

WHEN Queenslander Adam Hansen started the Tour de France Saturday night he turned the first pedal strokes towards the record for the most consecutive Grand Tours in cycling history.

WHEN Queenslander Adam Hansen started the Tour de France Saturday night he turned the first pedal strokes towards the record for the most consecutive Grand Tours in cycling history.

If the 34-year-old hard man of Aussie cycling makes it to Paris on July 26, he will have finished his 12th Grand Tour on the trot.

He would equal the record of consecutive three-week races set by Spain’s Bernardo Ruiz who achieved the feat between 1954 and 1958.

Since the 2011 Vuelta a Espana, Hansen has also ridden the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia every year which is unprecedented for a modern-day cyclist.

Then providing he gets through the Tour de France, if he completes Vuelta in September as well he will own the record outright.

“I like riding Grand Tours, the record is a nice thing but (it’s) not the first objective, but hopefully to finish in Paris,” Hansen said from The Netherlands on Friday.

The Lotto-Soudal rider says the secret to his longevity is rest in-between races but admits there were some stages in recent Tours he thought he wouldn’t finish.

“So far the hardest Grand Tour would have been the 2013 Vuelta,” Hansen said.

“We had two real hard stages there — some I was over my limit.

“In the Tour there is always a stage every year I think this could be it, but the 2013 Vuelta was very difficult.

“(The secret is to) live as a pro, take rest and good training in between (and) a little bit luck.”

Hansen nearly didn’t make it to this month’s Tour de France after a crash in the Ster ZLM Toer in June, but now has his sights set on not just finishing but a stage victory as well.

“It was a relief that the injuries after my crash weren’t too severe, so there wasn’t any danger I’d miss the Tour because of it,” he said.

“Because of the visit to Belgium this is a special edition for the team and I’m happy to be here. Of course I’ll do everything I can to lead Andre (Greipel) to victory.

“I also hope to get in a breakaway that can fight for the stage win. I already won a stage at the Giro and Vuelta and I would like to add a Tour stage to my victories.

“We have a dynamic team, with lots of riders who love to race aggressively and we’ll help each other when we can.”