Matt Hanson Ready for Nice On the New Quintana Roo V-Pri

Matt Hanson has arrived in Nice and the American, currently ranked seventh in the pro series ranking, will be looking to better his 21st place performance from two years ago. He is no stranger to a 2:30 run split, even posting a 2:28:03 at Challenge Roth and the second fasted run split in Nice in 2023, but getting to the run within contention is his battle. With that in mind, Hanson “went back to the drawing board,” during his Nice prep, testing aerodynamics in relation to climbing and lightening his set up which will include the just-released ultra-light version of the Quintana Roo V-Pri. 

Tell us about your preparation for Nice. Have you done any specific training for the bike course?

Nice prep has been going well. I had a big block of summer racing, so, after a short break, I really only had a six week focused block. Living in Colorado, it is easy to find the climbs to help prep for the bike course here, but the descents at home are nowhere near as technical. 

Matt Hanson on the bike at Challenge Roth earlier this year. Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

It’s your second time racing in Nice. What did you learn the first time that you’re going to capitalize on this year?

The first time in Nice was definitely an eye opener. I knew everyone would attack the climb, but I didn’t anticipate how hard they would ride up on the top flat section and I lost a lot of time. That needs to be the biggest difference for me in terms of race execution.

Tell us about the new bike. How did that project start and take us through the new features. 

I got the first prototype of the V-PRi shortly before the world championships in Nice in 2023. The project started immediately after they launched the V-PR the year before. It was great to be a small part of both projects as a beta rider and guinea pig, aero testing in the tunnel and in the field, as well as giving feedback before and after each adjustment. 

The great thing about working with QR is they are constantly finding ways to try to improve. My race bike for Nice has very little paint on it for example which is what helped make it over 200 g lighter than the stock V-PRi.

What other components are on your bike?

Cockpit: QR intelligent integration base bar with Delta Speed extensions and Absolute speed BTA bottle holder

Wheels: DT Swiss ARC 1100 disc and 62mm front with Grand Prix 5000 S TR tires— tubeless and will run 68psi

Crank length: 170mm/ Group set:  Shimano Dura Ace 12s. – 58/44 t  Pedals: Shimano Dura Ace

Saddle: ISM PN 3.0

Who do you have your eyes on and what do you think is going to be the crucial part of the race?

I think the swim is going to be extremely important here for the guys fighting for the win. With four returning champions as well as the entire podium from 2023, I really think there are 10 guys who could fight for the win. I think the pace will be hot from the start of the swim to see who can hang with Sam and have him to work with on the big climb. Tough to predict how the race will shape up.

You have a big coaching company with a big community of athletes. Do you have any age group athletes racing?

Yes, I started MHRacing back in 2014 and it has slowly grown since. We have four athletes racing here, four women in Kona, and a big group at 70.3 worlds.

Tags: