In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Trek Factory Racing’s team Luca Guercilena, confirmed that Fabian Cancellara will indeed attempt the hour record this year – most likely in April or July/August of next season.
“It’s for sure, this year.” “He has the hour record in his legs.”
“We have two windows where he’ll have a peak in form, the two weeks after Paris-Roubaix or after the Tour de France,” Guercilena added.
In addition, Guercilena indicated, that they were considering either Anadia, Portugal or Aguascalientes, Mexico as possible locations to attempt the record. However, in view of the fact that the track in Portugal is much closer to Cancellara’s home in Bern, Switzerland, Guercilena seemed to think that it was perhaps a better choice – especially given the time constraints imposed by the European racing schedule.
Cancellara goal is to beat Ondřej Sosenka’s record set on July 19, 2005, wherein the Czech rider rode 49.700km – beating the previous record of 49.441 set by Chris Boardman in 2000.
“It’s not as easy as it looks,” Guercilena said. “To do 50 kilometers an hour on a normal bike and on a track is harder than going 52 in a Tour de France time trial, with an aero bike, disc wheels and a stretched out position.”
It’s reported that Trek has already begun working on the project, wherein Cancellara is said to have tested some equipment when he visited the Valencia’s Luis Puig Velodrome last Friday.
“Twenty-five people — 15 from Trek bicycles, engineers and biomechanics, and 10 from the team — are working on the record,” Guercilena said. “We are trying to make the bike and wheels faster while staying in the UCI’s rules. You need time for this.”
Many have speculated that Cancellara’s attempt at the one hour record may encourage other time trial experts like Bradley Wiggins and Tony Martin to compete as well.
“It’d be good to get stars going for the record again, above all for someone like Cancellara who’s gone well against the clock for the last 10 years.” “It’s only right to put it on the program.”
In 2000, the UCI adopted new rules that prohibited the use of "extreme" bikes and positions. As a result, this negated the results of riders such as Francesco Moser, Graeme Obree, Chris Boardman, Miguel Indurain and Tony Rominger, all of whom broke the record, but on bikes that later became outlawed by the governing body. And, therefore, their results were subsequently removed from the record.
Cancellara’s list of accomplishments include four world championship time trials and the 2008 Olympic title in Beijing.
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