Adam Hanesn on life and bike racing

Long time World Tour racer Adan Hansen is one of the most grounded and rounded bike riders out there, and one who took a very different career path to the grand tours when compared to most. He also has quite a busy life outside of racing.

Having just been given the nod by his team that he won’t be on their 2021 roster he’s decided to turn his attention to Ironman triathlon, although I strongly suspect it won’t stop there,

Here’s a extract from a conversation we had during the early days of the pandemic..

ST; What impact do you think the current situation could have on your career and pro bike racing in the near future?

AH; My cycling, that could be a lot.

It's hard to predict the cycling outcome or any other economical outcome. What I see in the spring classics is so full on, and the races are so close together, and it’s a very hectic time. Our team is always running low on numbers. I cannot see a single reason to postpone the races to the end of the season. I would actually prefer it (if they were just cancelled this year). I already think the calendar is too cramped in the early season when compared to the end of the season.

There are so many free periods (to reschedule races in). It might actually work out doing that, and maybe some organizers might keep it that way. 

As for personal work, I have over 50 rental properties spread across the globe. This could be hugely impacted because of people not working, not having money and not paying rent. So this is one of my biggest fears. 

In 2-6 months it will be a buyers market in the property (it already is in a sense). Nobody could have predicted this. People, countries should have been better prepared and we can see this was not the case, especially in the USA. They, I think, will be hurt the most from an economical point of view. I am surprised -they even had the biggest head start of every country, and their president ignored it all and now they are behind the curve; I mean really behind the curve, and with their current healthcare system, they could have infected people not even wanting any help because they won't be able to afford the cost of medical help. And let's not get into their whole non-insurance system and the 11 million people that work in the USA that are non-documented. 

In my opinion they will be hit the hardest and will have huge economical problems. Now I am not being selfish or just thinking from an economical point of view and not health; but... this affects people's health. Imagine living week by week on pay checks and you get paid per hour - and then companies close. These people will be affected most, and these people cannot afford medical help and so the spread increases.

I already have deals on property purchases that I am thinking from a financing point of view to pull out of. I cut my losses and lose my deposits and then come back when the market is down and make bigger gains. It’s a sad thing to do; but we are all in survival mode at the moment, and if I spend all my cookies now and things go real bad, it will only get worse for me. 

I am just very pleases that I always invested and worked in property development and didn’t invested a Cent in shares. Because that is the last place I would want to be in right now. So regarding my career in property, I’m not so worried; but that could change.