Dennis Sets New Hour Record

Australian cyclist Rohan Dennis became the latest rider to break the world hour record completing 52.491 kilometers on the track in Granges, Switzerland, on Sunday. The 24-year-old — who recently won the Tour Down Under — broke the previous mark of 51.852km set by Austrian Mathias Brandle last October in Aigle, Switzerland.

AFP/BMC

His success, at a track close to his team BMC’s headquarters, comes a week after his compatriot Jack Bobridge failed in his bid in Melbourne. Dennis, Olympic team pursuit silver medalist in 2012, may not have the record for long as several other formidable cyclists have pledged to tackle the mark this year including British legend Olympic and world time-trial champion as well as the 2012 Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins.

Dennis, world track pursuit champion in 2011, was always on target to break the record and was at one point in line for completing 52.739km but he slowed down in the final 10 minutes.

“I feel pretty proud, also happy. I’ve prepared myself for a long time, it’s a huge relief,” Dennis said. “I’m really proud to take the chance. 2015 starts better than expected, with the victory in the Tour Down Under and now this record. It’s absolutely amazing. We set 52.5 km as the goal, above this it would have been a bonus.”

Dennis said that he believed he could improve on the record. “Yes I can improve this record. There are some things I didn’t do perfectly, my pacing could be better, I could have more control,” he said.

“As I’m getting older, I’m getting stronger.” Dennis, Olympic team pursuit silver medalist in 2012, may not have the record for long as several other formidable cyclists have pledged to tackle the mark this year including British legend Olympic and world time-trial champion as well as the 2012 Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins.

“Wiggins is the main rider to be able to beat me,” admitted Dennis. “There’s also (Thomas) Dekker, we have to see what the altitude in Mexico can bring.”

FACT FILE FROM HOUR ATTEMPT

Factfile on Rohan Dennis after the Austrlaian cyclist set a new world hour record in Grange, Switzerland, on Sunday:

Rohan Dennis
Nationality: Australian
Birthdate: May 28 1990
Birthplace: Adelaïde (Australia)
Teams: Team Jayco-Skins (2009-2010), Rabobank Continental (2011), Team Jayco-AIS (2012), Garmin-Sharp (2013), BMC (since 2014)

Main victories:
Races:

Tour Down Under 2015

Stage wins:
One stage – Tour Down Under 2015
One stage – Tour of California 2014

Grand Tours:
Tour de France: Competed in 2013
Tour of Spain: Competed in 2014

World hour record:
52.491km, February 8 2015 Granges, Switzerland

PAST ATTEMPTS AT HOUR

35.325km: Henri Desgrange (FRA), May 11 1893 Paris
38.220km: Jules Dubois (FRA), 31 October 1894 Paris
39.240km: Oscar Van den Eynde (BEL), July 30 1897 Paris
40.781km: Willie Hamilton (USA), 9 July 1898 Denver (USA)
41.110km: Lucien Petit-Breton (FRA) August 24 1905 Paris
41.520km: Marcel Berthet (FRA), June 20 1907 Paris
42.360km: Oscar Egg (SUI), August 22 1912 Paris
42.741km: Marcel Berthet (FRA), August 7 1913 Paris
43.525km: Oscar Egg (SUI), August 21 1913 Paris
43.775km: Marcel Berthet (FRA), September 20 1913 Paris
44.247km: Oscar Egg (SUI), June 18 1914 Paris
44.588km: Jan Van Hout (NED), August 25 1933 Roermond (NED)
44.777km: Maurice Richard (FRA), August 29 1933 St-Truiden (BEL)
45.067km: Giuseppe Olmo (ITA), October 31 1935 Milan (ITA)
45.375km: Maurice Richard (FRA), October 14 1936 Milan (ITA)
45.535km: Frans Slaats (NED), September 29 1937 Milan (ITA)
45.817km: Maurice Archambaud (FRA), November 3 1937 Milan (ITA)
45.848km: Fausto Coppi (ITA), November 7 1942 Milan (ITA)
46.159km: Jacques Anquetil (FRA), June 29 1956 Milan (ITA)
46.393km: Ercole Baldini (ITA), September 19 1956 Milan (ITA)
46.923km: Roger Riviere (FRA), September 18 1957 Milan (ITA)
47.346km: Roger Riviere (FRA), September 23 1958 Milan (ITA)
48.093km: Ferdinand Bracke (BEL), October 30 1967 Rome
48.653km: Ole Ritter (DEN), October 10 1968 Mexico
49.431km: Eddy Merckx (BEL), October 25 1972 Mexico

Following times were termed as world best by International Cycling Union
(UCI) following a ruling in 2000 by the sport’s governing body:

50.808km: Francesco Moser (ITA), January 19 1984 Mexico
51.151km: Francesco Moser (ITA), January 23 1984 Mexico
51.596km: Graeme Obree (GBR), July 17 1993 Hamar (NOR)
52.270km: Chris Boardman (GBR), July 23 1993 Bordeaux (FRA)
52.713km: Graeme Obree (GBR), April 27 1994 Bordeaux (FRA)
53.040km: Miguel Indurain (ESP), October 2 1994 Bordeaux (FRA)
53.832km: Tony Rominger (SUI), October 22 1994 Bordeaux (FRA)
55.291km: Tony Rominger (SUI), November 5 1994 Bordeaux (FRA)
56.375km: Chris Boardman (GBR), September 6 1996 Manchester (GBR)

Official world records
49.441km: Chris Boardman (GBR), October 27 2000 Manchester (GBR)
49.700km: Ondrej Sosenka (CZE), July 19 2005 Moscow
51.115km: Jens Voigt (GER), September 18 2014 Granges (SUI)
51.852km: Matthias Brändle (AUT), October 30 2014 Aigle (SUI)
52.491km: Rohan Dennis (AUS), February 8 2015 Granges (SUI)