Credit: Hennes Roth

Credit: Hennes Roth

Credit: Hennes Roth

Credit: Hennes Roth

Credit: Hennes Roth

Credit: Hennes Roth

 

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Adam Hansen and Tony Martin feature story - When Second Place Feels Like Winning...

April 07, 2008

High Road’s Adam Hansen finished second in Holland’s Hel Van Het Mergelland on Saturday, but the result was as good as a win for the Australian. Or maybe even better.

Hansen formed 50 percent of a day-long break, made with team-mate Tony Martin and that culminated with the two finishing nearly seven minutes ahead of the rest of the field.

The two decided that it was Martin who’d get the winner’s bouquet. They didn’t even sprint at the finish. But Hansen had no regrets about his decision.


“From the start I wanted the race to be real hard.” Hansen told High Road’s website.

“So I was really pushing the pace. First I was in a break by myself, then Franky [Frantisek Rabon] and then Tony.”

“When it was Tony [attacking] the group slowed down, I went to the front to put some pressure on the field and Tony attacked at the same time, so we thought we
would try it together.”

His initial personal objective was not, Hansen says, to win. Recently back in action following a major crash in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in March, his idea was to test his form to the maximum.


“I had had a real hard training week and my goal was to have the hardest race possible as I have three days off now in London doing a bio-mechanical test with a company called Bespoke.”

“I didn’t want to win, I didn’t want to be fresh in
the final. I wanted to ride myself into the ground. So from the start I was riding as hard as I could, being in all the moves trying to torture myself.”

Martin has said the toughest part of their victory was the first 50 kilometres where the bunch let the two dangle at 90 seconds ahead. But Hansen didn’t feel the same.

“The hardest part was the cold. As the race went on I lost
feeling in my hands and feet. I couldn’t change gears or brake properly, my hands felt like they were taped up!”

“It is going down as one of my worse race memories in history. If I wasn’t in the front, for sure I would have pulled out. It was not healthy at all!”

But the scenario, he agrees, was exceptional. Neither he nor team director Tristan Hoffman can remember a similar scenario of two team-mates attacking so early in a race (after 15 kilometres) and staying away to win.

“Once we had 5 minutes which was about 80 kilometres to go I knew we had won. There was a break behind, but for sure they weren’t working 100% because each man was saving himself for the final sprint. Tony and I could work 100% together as we
had one [objective] and it didn’t matter which one won.”

 Hansen was happy to gift Martin the win. The Australian is certain he made the right choice.

“My dream is to be the best domestique. [Whether] he wins or I win, its a win for our team.”

 “It’s more important for Tony if he gets the win, mentally
I don’t need wins to gauge how I’m going and I’m on the right track and that’s more important for me.”

The prize at the end of an epic day of riding for Martin was the win, and for Hansen, the satisfaction of seeing his team-mate do it and knowing how much he had helped him acheive that goal.

“It was good, he asked me how we would do it[the finish], I said ‘We cross the line together’ and he said ‘but who goes in front?’”

“I put my hand on his head and said “You do.’”

“The smile on his face was priceless. It was a good feeling.”   - As well as an unforgettable win for Hansen, Martin, and High Road.