For once, Adam Hansen isn’t burning up the tar at the Aussie champs, he’s offshore in the Med, getting ready to try and help HTC-Columbia top a remarkable 2009 season.
Worried that he may be getting bored, VeloVeritas flashed him 20 questions – here’s what the big man had to say…
The Aus champs with no Adam – almost unthinkable!
“I know, I know…. I want to be there.
“Love that race.”
How long did you have off, in the winter?
“Seven weeks no riding, but I always did something else.”
Do you do gym or other work, during that time?
“Lots of running, hiking, squash, tennis, basketball just to name a few.”
Where’s the camps, what are the terrain and weather like?
“Some little island off Spain starting with “M” [Mallorca], full of Germans – and they say its always nice weather……. funny how I’ve had four camps here and its snowed twice, including this one.”
Take us through a typical ‘camp day.’
“Well [Saturday] today was:
07:00 Wake up, breky
08:00 Ergo test
09:00 Core training
09:30 Training
**:** (sometime after training) Lunch
16:30 Photoshoot
17:30 Meeting with Bruce (most important guy in the team – he pays us)
18:45 Core training
20:00 Dinner
22:30 Some interview with some moob [er…that might be us!].”
Who’s impressing?
“The weather – super cold snow.
“Mechanics – bikes are really good.
“Schaffie – left the correct day for his flights (he missed a race once!).
“Riders? Don’t know… all good so far.”
Who ate too much candy?
“Franky?!?! [Rabon!]”
More Aussie chums for you, this season – Matt Goss and Leigh Howard.
“We’re slowly taking over the team!”
The Velits have joined too – aren’t they from near where you live in Slovakia?
“They are the close to me, really close, 70kms I think.
“After them Franky is 470kms from me.”
What’s your fave thing about camp?
“Maybe a new phone – rumor is it its a HTC HD2 – with the new snapdragon processor!
“My first computer was a 33MHz (I paid $250AUD to upgrade it to a 75MHz), this phone is 1000MHz – that’s one: million clock cycles per second, in a phone… Ok, I love that stuff.
“It was 2 degrees today so the Columbia winter jackets we got for sure work.”
And least fave?
“Weather – I hate going to camp when the weather is bad.”
You rode a good Vuelta in 2009.
“Thanks!”
Which was your best race day of 2009?
“Nats with 600m to go… Dauphine last stage…”
And the worst?
“Some race in Italy when my tyre came off my rim around a corner, breaking an important bone in my body.”
Best race for the team in 2009?
“With me in it was the Vuelta… yellow jersey, green jersey (and wore it ’til the finish), and 5 stages.”
Have you got your programme yet?
“Got a piece of paper with races on it, but I don’t expect to do most of them.”
What’s your role for 2010?
“Working with Andre (Greipel) more.”
The Scotts – anything new for 2010?
“Paint job, but they are still the best frame!”
Are the Commonwealth Games in Delhi part of your thinking?
“Where’s Delhi? or you mean Dilli? Ok, same place.”
2010 will be a success for Adam Hansen, if…
“No ‘ifs’.”
Here at VeloVeritas, we like Adam – he’s different!
