ADAM HANSEN

Adam Hansen from Lotto Belisol was happy to do a quick Q&A after Stage 6 in the Tour of Turkey and answer some questions sent earlier in the week. Going into this stage Adam was sitting 6^th and 44 seconds down on GC. He is rooming with Andre Greipel but no real twitter antics from them yet.

from Kersten Steurbaut ‏@ksteurbaut 

The goals for Lotto this Tour was to have a stage win and Adam in top 10 for general classification

It has been a successful season so far for Adam with Mountains classification at the Tour down Under and 9^th in GC. 4^th in stage 5^th of the Tirreno-Adriatico

Q

Tirreno went well you got a 4th in stage 5!  You seemed to be happy with the result and there was a comment on twitter about why are you smiling about getting 4th. Your comment was everyone would be happy to finish that stage. Is there any more to that? You matched it with Alberto Contador on that stage did that have a part of it?

I think at anytime I could just smile. I went to Tirreno in not too bad shape but not in good shape, which was my intention.

Actually, then afterwards, I was a little upset that I was not at race weight as I believed I could have done better than 4th. But, I can’t be top shape in every race I do.

Q

So far two sprint stages at the Tour of Turkey but not a lot of success. Any Reasons?

It’s tough, Andre coming back from injury and doesn’t really want to sprint. Greg is also coming back from knee operations so we don’t have our normal team here.

Q

Do you have any personal goals for the Tour of Turkey

Yeah I do, top 10 was the goal. Now I write to you and this is after all the GC stages.

I thought I could have done better. In fact today, I made some mistakes, I should have just stayed in my group and no attack and that cost me greatly, but.... I’m a racer :D

Adam made a spirited attempt at the end to narrow the selection. Several attacks from him on the last climb into Selcuk were neutralised his final attack was a springboard for Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEDGE) who won the stage and climbed into GC by the narrowest of margins

Q How is your preparation leading into the Giro?

Very, very good. Better than expected. I think, tactically I have done badly here and that is because this is all new to me racing for GC in good form. So with this form, I now have  going into the Giro. I am very much looking forward to the Giro.

Q

Do you have any personal goals for the Giro?

Stage win of course 

Q

It’s been a very good season so far What is you race program looking like beyond Giro. Is the three GT's still on the cards?

Sure, same as last year. Giro d’Italia, Ster ZLM Toer, Tour de France , Vuelta Espana, Team Time Trial and finishing with Tour of Beijing

I am hoping that the Ster ZLM Toer will be as successful as 2010 when Adam won the GC.

I think you would agree Adam is demonstrating that his focus into becoming a very successful 5-day stage General classification contender is progressing well.

Thanks and Go Adam!

ADAM HANSEN

Took this at our Interview during the 2013 TDU

Vuelta 2011, Giro 2012, Tour 2012, Vuelta 2012, Giro 2013, Tour 2013 and Vuelta 2013 that is more than 23.000 kilometers, divided over 147 stages.

Adam Hansen, superdomestique spent some time on the train back from the Vuelta to talk about his plans for the year and next.

Adam has had an excellent year racing with Lotto and has had a verbal agreement since before the Giro win that will see him racing with Lotto-Belisol again next year. In explaining staying with Lotto-Belisol he states his pet Whippet is named “lotto and I can’t change that!”

He has finished 7 grand tours in a row an exception feat and Adam also won stage 7 in the Giro and came third in 18th stage  of the Vuelta. Explaining doing so many grand Tours he wryly remarks

“that you get free food, free rent and free laundry” but I think everyone needs to take some context to what that is “the Vuelta 2011, the Giro 2012, the Tour 2012, the Vuelta 2012, the Giro 2013, the Tour 2013 andthe  Vuelta 2013 and that is more than 23.000 RACING kilometers, divided over 147 stages.

Adam races a long year starting with the Australian Road race Championships and ending with the tour of Beijing.

I asked Adam about his preparation for the Vuelta

“Every year I make small improvements, this year I made my biggest I believe. I was also 5kg lighter in the Vuelta then I was in the Giro.

He makes an interesting point  “I have never been so light since I was 17 years old”

“ In the Vuelta this year I was a little worried about the huge amount of weight loss going into the race”

Many would agree that being lighter means faster but there is also the complexity of 21 stages of racing. The best way to keep on top of your condition is to monitor your weights so Adam further explains “not only because of the amount of weight difference but also being my third grand tour it would have been hard for me to realise if I am tired due to so much racing or because I am too thin”

In clinical approach that sums up his attitude to racing

“So I really picked the days in the Vuelta, when I wanted to really go and used most of the days adjusting and seeing if my body was accepting my huge weight loss”

He reflects on the Vuelta

Originally we had “plans for the Vuelta was to get a win for myself or the team and Bart in GC. It did not really work out. I got a 3rd and that was the best we got. I was a little disappointed in myself, I expected better but, its the best result I have had in the Vuelta so its a stepping stone.”

But after further thought “Overall I believe it really worked for me because I was far stronger in this year’s Vuelta then last years. Last year I struggled a bit on the mountain stages. This year I was fresher and I was able to be competitive”

All of you must agree that to be fresh after three grand tours demonstrates that Adam is a truly magnificent athlete.

I explore the comments made by commentators at both the Giro and Vuelta about Adam’s newly found climbing prowess. I asked Adam “do you think because of the diversity of races, challenges and the difficulty in securing a win; is the distinction between riders as climbers, time trailers and sprinters changing or in essence are all riders are all becoming rouleurs ?

“I also believe guys are getting smarter in the bunch, well I am. It’s not about going full into the climb but staying on your level is far more important and most of the time if you don’t go over your limit you will go far longer on a climb then trying to force. It’s just pace judgement. You have to be realistic and know what wattage you can hold. If you’re going far above your limit you will crack. If you can stay within your limit you can ride the tempo much longer and hopefully it will work out in the end..... hopefully!

I was disappointed by Adam’s non-participation in the World Champions in Toscana and he went onto explain the reasons behind his reasons for pulling out of selection

Firstly “Worlds was not really on my cards this year” and of course doing doing three Grand tours does make it difficult.

Secondly “During the Vuelta (I had) personal and business issues and coupled with me riding the Team Time Trial at the worlds for Lotto-Belisol the weekend after would mean the only time I could apply for a visa for Beijing would be Monday morning after the TTT”

As some of you may know, Visa’s for China are not easy or straight forward.

“it’s 3-6days (to get a visa). If I failed to get it before Friday then I would not be able to fly to the worlds and driving would be my only option.

So travelling by car from his hometown in the Czech Republic “Its 1250km away from my house and I just thought its best I miss it for this year”

Adam plans for next year start with Australian Road Race Championships

“Yeah, I will be there. One day I will have the chance for the win” :D

The last comment I would like to share with you is indicative of who Adam is, I asked Adam about next year and would the Giro win help with contract negotiations

“ I made an verbal agreement with Lotto-Belisol before my Giro win. So my win had no influence in my contract. While nothing was signed I am a man who keeps his word. What I agreed was what I agreed. I was happy with my contract before the Giro win and also now I still am”

Wow, what a bloke! Strength and Honour