Hansen's run of successive Grand Tours to come to an end at 18

Adam Hansen has revealed that he won't be part of Lotto-Soudal's squad for the Vuelta a Espana, bringing to an end his record run of successive Grand Tour completions at 18.

Adam Hansen at the Giro d'Italia Source: Getty

Adam Hansen has become a fixture in the last seven years of Grand Tours and has gone into cycling folklore as a rider who simply won't quit, with a record to match. He overtook the 57-year-old record of Bernando Ruiz, who cycled in the 1950s, after finishing the 2015 Vuelta a Espana.

He has continued on since in the same vein, overcoming crashes and injuries to maintain his formidable unblemished streak. However, whether he can continue to extend his achievement is a choice that has been taken out of his hands by his team Lotto-Soudal.

In an interview with Rob Arnold of RIDE Media, Hansen said that the decision had been made that he wouldn't be lining up in Spain on August 19. 

“I was just told by one sports director recently that I would not be taking part in this year’s Vuelta, that I did not make the selection. The team has riders other than myself who they would prefer to take.”

Hansen gets aero during the 2017 Tour de France. Source: Getty

The 36-year-old has in the past been an important member of the Lotto-Soudal squad, setting sprinter Andre Greipel up for sprint victories and claiming two Grand Tour stage wins himself. He has been deemed surplus to requirements this time around however, though the Belgian squad are yet to officially announce their line-up for the Vuelta.

A saddle sore that emerged during the final week of the Tour de France is thought to be a contributing factor to the team's decision, though Hansen indicated that the problem was behind him in the interview with RIDE.

The Queensland native didn't seem pleased by the decision, but reiterated his support for the team a number of times and said he hoped he was given the opportunity to ride in other races like Hamburg, the Tour of Guangxi or the Tour of Britain, which may be the prelude to World Championships selection for Australia in Bergen.

The topic of the ongoing record is one that Hansen doesn't relish talking about, expressing a bit of frustration in interviews in the past that it's the one thing that journalists ask him about. That hasn't prevented him from expressing his disappointment in the choice taken by team management.

“I am not thrilled with this decision and it’s hard for me to take. It’s not the way I wanted it to end, but this is the team choice and it’s not in my control. I have to respect what they say.”

You can find the full interview here.