Bradley Wiggins is the latest cyclist to announce an attempt on the World Hour Record. He is due to take on the challenge on 7 June at London’s Olympic Velodrome.
“The hour record is a holy grail for cyclists,” Wiggins told The Guardian. “It’s been fought over tooth and nail by some of the greatest names in our sport for over a hundred years and it’s time for me to have a crack at it. I like the idea of challenging myself and want to motivate people to do the same – so why not get your bike out of the shed and see how far you can go in an hour?”
The attempt will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, and many expect the record to be broken. Wiggins has won three Olympic gold medals on the track in his career and has a proven pedigree in time trials also.
The current hour record is 52.491km, set by the Australian Rohan Dennis in February. Dennis had improved on the distance set by Austrian Matthias Brändle who had covered 51.852km. Brandle, in turn, had improved Jens Voigt’s record from last September when he recorded 51.115 kms.
Before Wiggins makes his attempt, fellow countryman Alex Dowsett is due to try and break the record. He will take on the Dennis’s distance on 2 May in Manchester having had to postpone it previously after breaking his collarbone.
