Adam Hansen (Lotto-Soudal) will start the Giro d’Italia today in Jerusalem in a bid to complete an incredible twenty Grand Tours in a row, further extending his record.
The Australian’s run goes all the way back to the 2011 Vuelta which he finished in 129th place. He has also taken two stage wins in the process, Stage 7 of the 2013 Giro d’Italia and Stage 19 of the Vuelta a España in 2014.
To mark the achievement of his 20th consecutive Grand Tour start, the team’s bike supplier Ridley have produced a customised bike for Hansen.
Spaniard Marino Lejarreta had previously held the record of 10 straight Grand Tours in the 1990s. However, another Spanish rider Bernardo Ruiz rode 12 in a row back in the 1950s, but back then, the Vuelta was only two weeks long.
Hansen has had to overcome some big difficulties along the way, including breaking his sternum in the 2013 Giro. He has said that he has come close to abandoning on a couple of other occasions also. It looked like his run would come to an end last season when he was omitted from the team for the Vuelta a España. However, he was called in to replace Rafael Valls who broke his hip on a training ride.
