Cyclry

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Alex Dowsett Set to Take on Hour Record in December

Alex Dowsett has announced that he will attempt to break the UCI Hour Record on 12 December. He’ll be doing it at one of our favorite velodromes, the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, UK.

Dowsett set an Hour Record in 2015, covering 52.937km at the National Cycling Center, before Bradley Wiggins stole his crown 36 days later. Now he’s BACK with a view to beating current holder Victor Campenaerts’s record of 55.089km.

With a storied career behind him, including a Bronze medal in the Men’s Elite individual time trial at the 2015 UCI Road World Championships in Richmond, Dowsett stands as an outside favorite to set a new record and reignite a competition that’s lain dormant since April 2019.

The 32 year old won the eighth stage of the Giro d’Italia this year, and recently signed a two year contract extension with UCI WorldTeam Israel Start-Up Nation. Since then, he’s been working on preparations for the record in the UK, including spending time in a wind tunnel for aerodynamic tests.

The UCI told us that “given the current health situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event will take place with all necessary precautions in place to guarantee the safety of the rider and all people involved.”

“When I took the record in 2015, we rode enough to break the record but I knew I had more in the tank at the end which was frustrating given the work put in by everyone. I spotted an opportunity in December this year to have another go and obviously I want to try and break the record, I want to see what I’m capable of and it’s an event I just really love and feel privileged to have the opportunity to take on again. In terms of difficulty, this time around I know the bar has been set extremely high by Victor (Campenaerts). It’s going to be a very big ask but I think I’m capable.”

Alex Dowsett

Recent Hour Record Holders

  • 16.04.2019: Victor Campenaerts (BEL), Velodromo Bicentenario, Aguascalientes (MEX), 55.089 km  (current record)
  • 07.06.2015: Bradley Wiggins (GBR), Lee Valley VeloPark, London (GBR), 54.526 km
  • 02.05.2015: Alex Dowsett (GBR), National Cycling Centre, Manchester (GBR), 52.937 km
  • 08.02.2015: Rohan Dennis (AUS), Vélodrome Suisse, Granges (SUI), 52.491 km
  • 30.10.2014: Matthias Brändle (AUT), Centre Mondial du Cyclisme UCI, Aigle (SUI), 51.852 km
  • 18.09.2014: Jens Voigt (GER), Vélodrome Suisse, Granges (SUI), 51.110 km