The 2020 season will be Adam Hansen's last as a full-time WorldTour rider, and he revealed on a Cycling News podcast that he will focus on Ironman racing next season.

The 39-year-old Hansen has been racing at the World Tour level since 2007, and his career has included stage wins at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España.

Hansen also set a record by finishing 20 consecutive Grand Tours between 2011 and 2018, but with his contract with Lotto Soudal ending this year and in need of a new challenge, he decided to focus on an entirely different challenge.

"I'm going to change the sport," Hansen announced on the latest Cycling News podcast.

"I'm going to do Ironman next year. You're the first person I've heard talk about this. I've always wanted to do it because I've always wanted to do an Ironman after cycling, but I've kept doing it because I enjoyed cycling so much. [Last year I did Ironman Florida and really enjoyed it. This year I was thinking about switching, but I did another year [of road racing] and this is something I always thought about, and I made my final decision around March."

If Hansen can find a team that can balance his Ironman schedule with road racing, there is still a small chance he will remain in cycling, but if that does not happen, he will be entering a new world with full commitment.

The Giro d'Italia could be his last race on the World Tour.

"If I can find a team and put together a program like Cam Wolfe did, that might be an option, but if not, I will be 100% focused on Ironman," Hansen explained. [I'll be competing in Ironman Portugal on November 7, and I'll try to do another Ironman. I'll be racing in the pro category, but I won't take it too seriously."

Having competed in an Ironman last year, Hansen has found that stepping out of his comfort zone and racing in a new sport can be challenging and invigorating.

Hansen has spent most of his cycling career working for others, and his departure will leave a huge hole in the sport, especially with regard to his knowledge and status as one of the peloton's most respected riders. But he is ready for a new environment. He said, "I'll pick and choose the races I want to do, and the ones I don't want to do, I won't. I'll be spending more time at home, and I really love training, so it's something new and I'm really looking forward to it. I think it's perfect for athletes like me, who can run the front all day long. That's what an Ironman athlete is really all about."

"I really want to go to the World Championships. I have very high expectations for myself and I want to run for at least three or four seasons. I'm going to give it my all. It will help when I say goodbye to cycling. On the other hand, I'm still going to ride my bike and I'm still going to be dedicated and serious about it. I have a lot of friends in the peloton."

"I've been cycling for years and have done the same races many times, but last year at Ironman Florida I was nervous before the start. When I got to the start line at Ironman, it was my responsibility."