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In-form Australian cyclist Adam Hansen has respect for German sprint ace Marcel Kittel – but no fear.
One of the highlights of Adelaide’s Tour Down Under from January 19-26 will be the head-to-head sprint duel between Kittel and compatriot Andre Greipel.
Hansen’s main job at the Tour will be to help set up Greipel, his Lotto-Belisol team leader, for the sprint finishes.
Greipel has the most stage wins in Tour history and is a two-time winner of the race.
Lotto-Belisol’s sprint train is flawless, but Kittel proved he had arrived as a world-class sprinter with three stages last year at the Tour de France.
“Not only the climbers get better, but the sprinters get better at the Tour Down Under,” Hansen told AAP.
“Kittel is going to be flying.
“He’s going to want to prove a point and just put in concrete how good he is after the Tour (de France).
“I’m not being cocky, but we’re not really afraid of him so much – we’re very confident.”
Greipel and Kittel will have their first high-speed sprint duel on Sunday night at the annual one-off Adelaide street race, two days before the Tour itself starts.
While Greipel will go for stage wins, he concedes the days of a sprinter winning the Tour Down Under are gone.
Instead, he nominated Hansen as the Lotto-Belisol rider best-equipped for a top-10 overall result.
Certainly Hansen will start the Tour in strong form, having produced an outstanding ride last Sunday at the Australian championships.
Hansen was one of the main protagonists in the key breakaway before Australian team Orica-GreenEDGE shut it down.
He finished 13th as Simon Gerrans, Cadel Evans and Richie Porte produced a world-class podium.
But Hansen laughed when told of Greipel’s confidence in his ability to produce a big result at the Tour.
Noting Greipel made the comment immediately after arriving in Adelaide, the Australian joked: “I think it’s the jetlag – you know, they do give you free alcohol on the plane.”
As he says every year, Hansen predicted his best chance for a high personal result would be if the race is hit by a scorching Adelaide heat wave.
The Cairns rider loves racing in hot weather.
“I have good form and I can try my best,” he said.
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