The Queenslander was honoured by Giro director Mauro Vegni and past winner Alberto Contador as he held on to the sparkling wine, fluffy toy and flowers usually reserved for stage and jersey victors.
Hansen confirmed early at this year's Giro he would not line-up for the 2018 Tour de France bringing his gargantuan 20 grand tour streak of to an end.
His record-breaking feat began at the 2011 Vuelta a Espana and is said to total around 75,000 kilometres.
"This is my 20th in a row and I’ve finished them all,” the 37-year-old Hansen told Eurosport.“It’s something special, something that’s never been done before.”
The Lotto-Soudal rider won two stages during this time; stage 7 of the 2013 Giro and stage 19 of the 2014 Vuelta, and was a vital lieutentant in Andre Greipel's numerous sprint victories.
Hansen rode a special edition Ridley bike at this year's Giro to mark his 20 grand tour streak - with Iron Man as the inspiration for its decals (Getty) Source: Getty
As strong as ever, Hansen - a cycling shoe designer and software engineer off the bike - has not ruled out riding another grand tour, but for now, yearns a well earned rest this summer.
