Cofidis-team manager Cédric Vasseur almost overflowed by enthusiasm, when he to the 2019 season, had signed a contract with Danish Jesper Hansen, and he built up such high expectations for his new climber, he almost could only be disappointed.
It was he, already in the month of march was Hansen hit by the disease, who drew his level towards the bottom. And when he had finally come upstairs again, he was again struck by illness.
It was a bad season, where not much went as hoped, says Jesper Hansen Extra Leaf on the last day.
– It has been hard. I have, of course, the brand a pressure from the team’s side, but it has not been unreasonable or really bad.
– No one can ask anything up in the face of disease, so actually, I think that my position in the team is still good, and I feel that I have the team’s confidence, says Jesper Hansen.
he states, although the Tour de France – the team’s absolute main goal – is out of the picture for him. Vasseur leaning more to send Hansen to Italy to ride the Giro d’italia, which begins 9. may.
– I hope also to run the Vuelta a España in august, but first and foremost, for me to get started in the spring, says Jesper Hansen, whose contract expires in 2020.
– I need to show something in the spring. After a poor season, it is important to produce good results early in the year, so that there can be some contract negotiations, ” says Hansen.
Only in the Tour of California got Jesper Hansen has shown his class in last season. Now he hopes that he is already in the spring can make results that can put the time in contract negotiations prior to the 2020 season. Photo: Team Cofidis.
Cédric Vasseur has over the past few seasons has worked to transform Team Cofidis from a faded, evenly and very French cycling team for an international team. The team has just been issued a license to the World Tour in three years, after ten years on the prokontinental-level.
the Tour de France is of immense significance for the French team and the world championships in the big race is one of the Vasseurs major goals. Not since 2008 has the team won a Tour-the world championships.
Vasseur had picked out Jesper Hansen as the rider, it should break the curse, but he ended up not being selected for the Tour de France.
– I was actually in good shape and was ready to run the Tour de France. I had been running the Tour of California, where it went really well, but there were other interests at stake in the Tour, ” says Jesper Hansen.
– the Choice was eventually between me and Natnael Berhane, and when he had been champion in Eritrea, he was chosen.
– I got instead the Vuelta, where I then again was sick. I fought my way through a whole week with illness, but it was eventually not to continue, ” said Jesper Hansen, who for the second time in the season, then was pulled down by coughing, snotnæse and malaise.
– It ended up so with that the Tour of California was the only race where I was shown my level, he says.
Jesper Hansen sæsondebuterer in February in the Tour of Oman, after which he runs the UAE Tour. The season’s first major target will be the Catalonia Round, which begins 23. march.
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