Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

Sir Bradley Wiggins smashes the UCI Hour Record

54.526k is new benchmark after Wiggins rides the Hour of his life

Sir Bradley Wiggins has smashed the UCI Hour record at a packed Lee Valley VeloPark in London this evening, cheered on by a raucous crowd as he covered 54.526km (33.880 miles) to beat the benchmark set by Alex Dowsett in Manchester last month by more than five laps.

Wiggins took to the track to huge cheers from a capacity crowd that evoked memories of London 2012, where his sole appearance at the Olympic Park in Stratford was to ring the bell to start the Opening Ceremony, less than a week after winning the Tour de France.

A late decision had been made to switch to 58x14 gearing rather than 59x14, and a space-age airlock system was in place at the venue to keep the temperature at a constant 28 degrees Celsius.

Newly clean-shaven, he was wearing the purple and red kit of his Team Wiggins squad, with a gold helmet and shoes befitting his status as not only reigning Olympic and World time trial champion, but also a three time Olympic gold medallist on the track – his outfit teamed with his trademark black socks.

He began rewriting the record books with the very first pedal stroke. After 5km, he was on course to ride 55km during the 60 minutes, and was well ahead of the times set by the existing record holder, Dowsett, who rode 52.937km in Manchester last month.

Wiggins was also consistently inside the split times that the man who Dowsett took the record off, Rohan Dennis, who in setting his own record had ridden quicker in the earlier part of the ride compared to the Movistar rider.

Each landmark – the distance he covered at 15, 20, 25km and so on – was greeted with rapturous applause as Hugh Porter, who said he was honoured to have been chosen by Wiggins to call the record, informed the crowd of his splits and how far he was ahead of Dowsett.

Among those watching was Miguel Indurain – who Wiggins joins as a former Tour de France champion who also held the Hour record, his Pinarello bike on display in the concourse area of the track.

Wiggins couldn’t quite match the 56.375km Best Human Effort Chris Boardman rode in 1996 on his Mike Burrows-designed Lotus bike, using a ‘Superman’ position later banned by the UCI.

But that is besides the point. The man who, bar none, is the top draw in British Cycling – proved last month by the crowds that flocked around his caravan at the Tour de Yorkshire, as well as tickets for this evening selling out in six minutes  – smashed the UCI Hour Record record out of sight.

Four times an Olympic champion on the road and track, the first British winner of the Tour de France and the current holder of the World Time Trial title, Wiggins tonight rode what in all probability will be his last big ride in the UK.

No-one who was there - not least his wife Cath, and children Ben and Bella, whose initials are tattooed on the thumbs he stared down at during his ride - will ever forget it.

Reaction to follow.

Check out the bike that Wiggins rode to his world record.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

15 comments

Avatar
craggie | 8 years ago
0 likes
Avatar
Kadinkski | 8 years ago
0 likes

Calling him "the great Lance Armstrong" did seem a bit odd, but good on Brad for having the balls to say what he thinks rather than what's politically correct.

For the record, I agree with him.

Avatar
BikeJon | 8 years ago
0 likes

Very impressive. He did a great job keeping mentally focussed to produce a stunning athletic performance, given the disappointment of the atmospheric conditions. It's hard to overcome the hurdle of knowing you would be going quicker for the same effort 'if only'. He has said he isn't going for it again so it just leaves a half door open for the World's best to have a go.

Avatar
andyspaceman | 8 years ago
0 likes

Was a superb effort, and a result that works well for both Wiggins himself, and the sport as a whole.

For Sir Brad, he gets the satisfaction of putting nearly a mile into the existing record, despite the high pressure. A massive feat.

But, because it was set at low altitude and with high pressure, I suspect some of the very best cyclists out there might still be wondering whether they could beat it given the right atmospheric conditions.

If he'd had low pressure and gone a kilometer or so further, the record would have been put properly out of sight, likely stopping anyone from thinking about having a go.

Avatar
morseykayak | 8 years ago
0 likes

"McQuaid and Bruyneel in VIP guest area!"
Sub optimal.

What would have been ideal would have been to see Travis Tygart in the arena.

Avatar
bikewithnoname | 8 years ago
0 likes

A great achievement, but not half as interesting to watch as Pete Kennaugh winning stage 1 of the Dauphine. Bradley was a bit like watching F1, you only need to see the start and the finish.

Avatar
ct | 8 years ago
0 likes

I could have it...

Avatar
daddyELVIS | 8 years ago
0 likes

McQuaid and Bruyneel in VIP guest area! What was that rant Wiggo gave back in the days when he was floundering at the back of the peloton?

Avatar
Grizzerly replied to daddyELVIS | 8 years ago
0 likes
daddyELVIS wrote:

McQuaid and Bruyneel in VIP guest area! What was that rant Wiggo gave back in the days when he was floundering at the back of the peloton?

And a reference to "the great Lance Armstrong ".

What the hell was he thinking?

"I know, let's take the pressure off FIFA, UK Athletics, Farrah et al, by reminding the world how many devious, cheating gits cycling has produced."

Avatar
Leviathan replied to Grizzerly | 8 years ago
0 likes
Grizzerly wrote:
daddyELVIS wrote:

McQuaid and Bruyneel in VIP guest area! What was that rant Wiggo gave back in the days when he was floundering at the back of the peloton?

And a reference to "the great Lance Armstrong ".

What the hell was he thinking?

"I know, let's take the pressure off FIFA, UK Athletics, Farrah et al, by reminding the world how many devious, cheating gits cycling has produced."

Please provide a referenced quote or kindly eff off.

Avatar
daddyELVIS replied to Leviathan | 8 years ago
0 likes
bikeboy76 wrote:
Grizzerly wrote:
daddyELVIS wrote:

McQuaid and Bruyneel in VIP guest area! What was that rant Wiggo gave back in the days when he was floundering at the back of the peloton?

And a reference to "the great Lance Armstrong ".

What the hell was he thinking?

"I know, let's take the pressure off FIFA, UK Athletics, Farrah et al, by reminding the world how many devious, cheating gits cycling has produced."

Please provide a referenced quote or kindly eff off.

From the Telegraph's article on the event:

" “Not even the great Lance Armstrong managed [that double],” he pointed out. It was difficult to know whether he was being ironic but it appeared not."

Regarding the 2 stooges, check Fran Millar's twitter a/c - she posted a picture of them!

Avatar
hampstead_bandit | 8 years ago
0 likes

just watched this on TV - awesome effort and spectacle

hypnotic viewing, the hour passed so quickly; I even managed to corral my missus into watching and she too was cheering by the end

chapeau, Sir Bradley Wiggins!

Avatar
Leviathan | 8 years ago
0 likes

Bring it on Martin.

Avatar
lookmanohands | 8 years ago
0 likes

 41 wow!

Avatar
upriver | 8 years ago
0 likes

Chapeau

Latest Comments