Starting with the Vuelta a España in 2011, Lotto Belisol’s Adam Hansen has ridden 10 consecutive Grand Tours, winning 2 stages in the process (Stage 7 of the Giro d’Italia 2014 and stage 19 of the Vuelta a España 2014), and finishing all of them. Tonight he will ride the final time trial of the Vuelta a España with a special Campagnolo Bora disk wheel to mark his record-equaling 10th consecutive Grand Tour finish.

Only two other riders have completed 10 consecutive Grand Tours in history: Bernardo Ruiz did it between 1955 and 1957 and Marino Lejarreta completed his between 1989 and 1991.

A special Campagnolo Bora wheel for the record-equaling 10th consecutive Grand Tour finish

Adam Hansen's special Campagnolo Bora Wheel
Adam Hansen’s special Campagnolo Bora Wheel
Adam Hansen, Vuelta a España 2014 stage 21
Adam Hansen riding his special Ridley TT bike with special Campagnolo Bora Ultra wheels, Vuelta a España 2014 stage 21

In 2012, Hansen became the second Australian to complete all three Grand Tours – the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España – in a calendar year. He was the only rider to accomplish that feat in 2012, and the 32nd in cycling history.

He is the first Australian to have achieved this feat. In 2013, Hansen broke away early in the seventh stage of the Giro d’Italia, a stage featuring numerous short and steep climbs. Hansen shed his breakaway companions and won in solo fashion in Pescara in the pouring rain, more than a minute in advance of the chasing group.

In stage 19 of the 2014 Vuelta a España, Hansen attacked the peloton with 4 km to go and resisted to the disorganized chase to win solo.

Hansen likes to rib his teammates by posting funny pictures of them on his Twitter account. He is affable, intelligent, and well-liked among the peloton. As an engineer (he was working as a software developer before becoming a pro cyclist) Hansen has designed his own shoes and ridden with them on numerous occasions.

Adam Hansen wins Stage 19 of the Vuelta a España 2014
Lotto Belisol animated the nineteenth Vuelta stage, between Salvaterra do Miño and Cangas do Morrazo. Adam Hansen jumped away at less than five kilometers from the finish and won. Before that, Pim Ligthart had been part of a breakaway of three. The Dutchman got the combativity award.

Sources

M. Özgür Nevres

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