Bradley Wiggins sets new hour record of 54.526km in London

Bradley Wiggins set a new hour record at the Lee Valley Velopark
He covered a distance of 54.526km over the 60 minutes
Wiggins beat the previous record of 52.937km set by Alex Dowsett
The Brit had been aiming to set a mark of 55km but fell short

Published:
18:29 GMT, 7 June 2015

|
Updated:
00:59 GMT, 8 June 2015

174

View
comments

It was the closest a man will come to giving birth, he reckoned, but in a packed and frenetic London velodrome Sir Bradley Wiggins set a new world hour record, covering 33.88miles (54.526km) to beat fellow Brit Alex Dowsett’s mark by 0.987miles (1.589km).

‘That is the closest I will ever come to knowing what it’s like to have a baby,’ said Wiggins after coming to a halt and painfully dismounting his bike.

It was a performance witnessed by close to 6,000 people, who created an atmosphere reminiscent of the London Olympic Games, with the track cycling in the same arena.

Bradley Wiggins set a new hour record in London, beating the previous mark by almost two km

Olympic hero Wiggins fell short of his own target but delighted the home crowd with his ride

Wiggins had enough energy left to lift his bike above his head in celebration

What an astonishing effort by Bradley Wiggins. Brilliant!

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) June 7, 2015

Wiggins added yet another achievement to his already glittering career

HOUR HEROES

1) BRADLEY WIGGINS

33.88miles (54.526km)

2) ALEX DOWSETT

32.89miles (52.937km)

3) ROHAN DENNIS

32.62miles (52.491km)

Wiggins, who was clean-shaven for the attempt after losing his trademark sideburns, was up on the record throughout the hour, showing no outward signs of fatigue as he remained rock solid: back parallel to the track, head down, face obscured by a golden teardrop-shaped helmet. Only his coach, Heiko Salzwedel, could discern what was going on with his rider, and he admitted afterwards that he feared for him in the final quarter.

‘In the last 15 minutes I was really worried about Bradley,’ said Salzwedel. ‘I saw his face, he was struggling, it was coma — he was in a coma. He could not see the (black) line (at the bottom of the track). ‘It shows what a great athlete he is, that he can dig so deep.’

Wiggins’ distance is confirmed as the Brit set the new record in front of a vociferous crowd

WIGGO LOSES SIDEBURNS TO GAIN RECORD

Wiggins shaved his beard before his record attempt as he attempted to gain every possible advantage

Wiggins had started with a target not only of breaking the record but of topping 55km and Salzwedel, asked whether he might go for it again, said: ‘Never say never. We learned a lot in the preparation for this.’

But Wiggins himself ruled it out, confirming he will now take a holiday before returning to training in July. But his only target will be the Rio Olympics, where he hopes to make the British squad for the team pursuit.

Although there was a tinge of disappointment over the distance — high air pressure made conditions difficult, and Wiggins said he thought it cost him 700 metres — Wiggins said he was satisfied.

It also puts him in an exclusive club of riders who have won the Tour de France and held the hour record, which until Sunday night included only four names: Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain, who was in the big crowd yesterday at Wiggins’ invitation.

Wiggins (right) celebrates after his record hour cycling attempt with Miguel Indurain (left)

Wiggins celebrates with his family after breaking the UCI One Hour Record on Sunday evening

British hero Wiggins celebrates his new record

Wiggins said he was satisfied with the record and the distance. ‘The elation is the same after any race: the relief, satisfaction that it’s over. It’s huge relief more than anything. I was confident I could do it, but you’re not sure. And until the fat lady sings, it’s not over.

‘That’s raised the bar a fair bit,’ Wiggins continued. ‘For sure it’ll deter people or make them think twice about (attempting it).’

Wiggins is the latest in a succession of riders to attempt the hour since cycling’s governing body, the UCI, changed the rules last autumn, allowing standard track bikes for hour record attempts.

It was Dowsett who set the mark Wiggins had to beat in Manchester at the end of April — and Wiggins tipped the Essex rider to have another go.

‘It’s the first real big marker,’ Wiggins said of his ride. ‘I couldn’t have done any more today. It’s perhaps not as far as I dreamed or hoped but I’m satisfied. It’s a mental challenge more than anything. There were a couple of moments when I wavered.

‘I was in a lot of pain the last 10 minutes but my splits were fairly even throughout.’

Yet he claimed it wasn’t the hardest thing he has done — the Tour de France, which he won in 2012, beats it.

‘I wouldn’t go that far,’ he said when asked if it was his sport’s ultimate physical test. ‘Try leading the Tour for two weeks.’ In what might have been a dig at his erstwhile team-mate, Chris Froome, he added: ‘Looking over your shoulder.’

Wiggins continued: ‘It’s done now. I always compare myself to the greats and I am just glad to be in the company of those guys. To get up there and do that… to put yourself on the line takes a lot of courage and it’s a mental game as much as anything.’

‘It tops it off. To do everything and come here as an old man, I had such great memories here as a kid and to come here… It’s memorable.’

Asked how he would celebrate, Wiggins said: ‘By standing up. I can hardly sit down at the moment.’