Jens Voigt broke the long-standing, iconic hour record in Switzerland today, with a mark of 51.115km.
The 43 year-old German cyclist completed more than 200 laps of the velodrome to better the previous mark of 49.700km – set by Czech rider Ondrej Sosenka in 2005 – by 1.1415km.
"It’s among the biggest highlights of my career," said Voigt.
The new record was set on a track pursuit bike after the UCI rescinded its previous restrictions on the use of modern aerodynamic bikes and equipment.
*Does not include those cancelled from record books by UCI
1876 (first record)
Frank Dodd 26.508km
1893
Henri Desgrange
35.325km
1898
Willie Hamilton
40.781km
1935
Giuseppe Olmo
45.090km
1972
Eddy Merckx
49.431km
2000
Chris Boardman
49.441km
2005
Ondrej Sosenka
49.700km
2014
Jens Voigt
51.115km
In 2000, the UCI had ruled that any attempts had to be made using a traditional bike, stifling innovation and nullifying records set by Scotland’s Graeme Obree in 1994 and British Olympic champion Chris Boardman two years later.
Boardman returned on a traditional bike in 2000 to set a new record of 49.441km, 10m further than Belgian legend Eddy Merckx, who had held the record from 1972.
Sosenka, 38, whose career ended when he failed a drugs test in 2008, eclipsed Boardman in 2005.
"Now I’m on the list – nobody is going to strike me off it," Voigt added.
"To be up there with the likes of Merckx and Boardman, I’m now proud that my name is with them."
2012 Tour de France winner, Bradley Wiggins, has expressed his interest in taking on the record in 2015, while Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara, a four-time world time-trial champion, has also stated his desire to attempt the record as well.
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