This is a bit controversial, but I’m going to post twice about stage seven. I’ll deal with Bradley Wiggins’ time losses and the general classification in a bit, but first let’s honour today’s stage winner, Adam Hansen.
Who?
A lot of professional cyclists don’t really have a specialty and therefore find it difficult to win stages. The best climbers win the mountain stages, the best sprinters win the flat stages, the time-trialists win the time trials and the puncheurs win stages where there are short, steep climbs. What do you do if you don’t excel in one particular aspect of cycling? How can you find individual glory when you’re someone like Adam Hansen?
You have to get in the break.
But the peloton always catches the break?
No, not always. The break is almost always reeled in, but some days an unthreatening group of riders can be allowed to go and very occasionally the chasing group gets things wrong – not often, but it happens.
Because these opportunities are rare, victories from a break are that much more joyous. That is particularly the case with Hansen’s win. The man barely knew how to celebrate, settling for a sheepish, face-holding approach to the line before doing a bit of generic pointing.
You didn’t really explain who he was
Adam Hansen is the definitive workhorse. He was Australian national time trial champion in 2008 and other than that, his wins are few and less than eye-catching. Ster Elektrotoer anyone? GP Bradlo? Lavanttaler Radsporttage?
No, what Hansen is perhaps best-known for is the fact that he completed all three Grand Tours last year and plans on doing the same again. That is a monumental undertaking – more so when you’re doing it in the service of others.
The man deserves his victory as well as an update on this website all of his own.
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