The Funen speedway star continues his career in SES - Sønderjyske Elite Speedway in 2021. Despite the fact that he turns forty in November, Hans Andersen still has sporting ambitions, just as he has some clear visions for a career in the speedway sport in the future.
By Ib Søby
Back in 2010, Hans Andersen was to be found on the Vojens team that won bronze in the Danish Metal Speedway League. It was during the period when Andersen belonged to the absolute world elite with Grand Prix victories, Team World Cup titles, and high status on British, Swedish and Polish club teams.
Since then, Hans Andersen has still had a distinguished career in the major league clubs, while he had to see Grand Prix qualifiers miss in the years after 2012, when he ran his last Grand Prix. At the same time, changing national coaches initiated a generational change, where there was no room for Hans Andersen.
- I certainly feel that I still have something to offer. As long as I still have a strong desire to drive, I see no reason to stop. Precisely in speedway, experience is perhaps the most important ballast, says Hans Andersen and refers to American Greg Hancock, who won three World Cup titles - after rounding forty years!
In 2019, Hans Andersen was hit by several deaths that affected him deeply. His father Svend passed away, as did both a Polish and a British sponsor with whom he had formed close friendships throughout his career. For several periods during the year, Hans Andersen considered parking the bicycle in the garage more than once.
- I really felt that the connection to SES - Sønderjylland Elite Speedway should be the turning point for me this year, but then the corona came and turned everything upside down, just as I broke three fingers in a race for Lodz in Poland. Therefore, I put a parenthesis around 2020, and I'm really looking forward to getting started again after the winter break, says Hans Andersen.
He also expects to continue in England and Poland.
Visions in Vojens
Hans Andersen also sees his role in 2021 in Vojens, as a mentor for the club and the SES team's young drivers.
- Through more than twenty years as a professional, I have lots of experience that I would like to pass on. And at the same time, I imagine that Vojens Speedway Center will be the perfect place to create a kind of "speedway academy". A training center - a school - where young drivers can check in and get lots of training, mental coaching, diet guidance and eg media training, says Hans Andersen.
- In Poland, the drivers train daily, and the clubs become more and more aware of the conditions needed to create top drivers. In Denmark, we lag a bit behind, because we have lots of talent, but they must have the opportunity to train much more, and are taught by experts in the important areas that lie outside the slag track, Hans Andersen believes.
Hans Andersen
Born November 3, 1980 in Odense
Selected results:
2007, 2008, no. 5 In the World Cup Grandprix series.
87 Grandprix races, 4 wins, 16 podium finishes.
Winner, Ullevi 2004, Parken 2006, Prague 2006, Terenzano 2008.
The Golden Helmet, Pardubice, 2008
Team World Champion 2006 in Reading and 2008 in Vojens.
No. 4 U21 World Cup 1999 in Vojens.
Danish champion 2007
Danish U21 champion 1996
Danish 80cc champion 1995
Married to Christina and has sons August and Noah.