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Hansen added to Lotto Soudal roster as Vuelta a Espana replacement

By Cycling News

published 7 August 2017

Australian's Grand Tour streak continues after Valls breaks hip in training crash

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Lotto's Adam Hansen will target stage wins at the Tour Down Under(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Champagne for Adam Hansen in the Vuelta(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Champagne for Adam Hansen after his Vuelta stage win(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Rafa Valls (Lotto Soudal)(Image credit: Nico Vereecken / Photonews)

Adam Hansen on the move(Image credit: John Veage / Cycling Australia)

Adam Hansen is set to extend his run of consecutive Grand Tour starts to 19 after Lotto Soudal added him to its Vuelta a España team after Spaniard Rafael Valls fractured his hip in a training crash.

Vuelta a Espana: Hansen attains his Grand Tour record in Madrid

Hansen completes Vuelta a Espana to maintain Grand Tour record

Rafa Valls Ridley Noah SL - Gallery

Giro d'Italia: Hansen's Grand Tour run continues despite crash

Hansen adds number 18 to consecutive Grand Tour tally

Hansen's Grand Tour run ends after missing Vuelta a Espana selection

Valls will undergo surgery to fix the break.

Hansen finished a record 18 straight Grand Tours when he ended the Tour de France in Paris this year in 113th place despite suffering from a bad case of saddle sores. The Australian had initially not been selected to the Lotto Soudal team for the Vuelta.

Hansen broke the record for consecutive Grand Tour finishes after completing the 2015 Vuelta a España. He has also won two Grand Tour stages, one in the Giro d'Italia in 2013 and one in the 2014 Vuelta.

Valls joins Jürgen Roelandts and Frederik Frison on the sidelines for the remainder of the season. Roelandts had hip surgery after dropping out of RideLondon, and Frison has been suffering from glandular fever. Louis Vervaeke is also out of competition recovering from fatigue.