Fabian Cancellara says an attraction of the World Hour Record is the chance to measure yourself against the great riders of the past.

In this video interview from Shimano, the popular Swiss Classics specialist talks about the pressure of attempting to retain his one-day titles (though he doesn't look very pressured, to be honest); the next king of the Classics; and his planned attempt on the title that was once cycling's greatest trophy: the record for most distance covered by a solo rider in an hour.

Cancellara says that the Hour Record puts you on the same level “equipment-wise” as “all the riders that rode the Hour Record”.

“You can go back and [compare yourself with] Merckx, Anquetil, Moser, all those times. That’s something that is special about it.”

That implies that Cancellara is expecting to take a crack at the record under the current 'athlete's record' equipment rules which mandate a bike similar to the one Eddy Merckx rode when he set the record in Mexico City in 1972.

There's been speculation about the exact rules the UCI will impose on Cancellara's record attempt, with some commentators expecting Brian Cookson's regime at the UCI to allow more modern equipment.