Jens Voigt is the new holder of cycling's prestigious Hour Record, setting a distance of 51.115 km at the Grenchen Velodrome in Switzerland on Thursday evening.

The charismatic German ensured that his final hour in cycling was among his finest, as he surpassed the previous record of 49.7 km set by the Czech rider Andrej Sosenka in 2005. Voigt, who turned 43 on Wednesday, retired from cycling a few weeks ago only to announce an immediate comeback for his hour attempt.

Immediately after setting the landmark distance, a surprisingly fresh-looking Voigt commented:

"I went off a little too fast at the start and I had a bad spell after the halfway mark, but the support of the crowd and knowing that this was my last race meant that I could finish strongly. I gave everything in the last 20 minutes. I'm really happy with the distance: 51 km is more than I imagined. It's an intense event: there is no downhill, no hiding behind a teammate; it's like a breakaway when you don't want to be caught by the peloton.

"I am extremely proud to be joining all the iconic riders that have beaten this record before me. The crowd was amazing, supporting me all the way. This is also their record!"

Voigt was cheered on throughout the attempt by a packed crowd in the velodrome. Among those in attendance was Michael Hutchinson, author of The Hour, who himself has made two attempts on the record, while previous holders including Chris Boardman and Eddy Merckx were quick to congratulate Voigt on the achievement.

Voigt paid tribute to those who had gone before him and inspired him to take on the hour challenge:

"I saw Chris Boardman beating the record in 2000 and I said to myself: 'what a great way that would be to finish my career'. 33 years of cycling behind me. This was my last attempt. I'm in so much pain... But what a way to retire!"

Eddy Merckx set his hour record of 49.431 km in Mexico in 1972, and earlier this week "The Cannibal" voiced his belief that Voigt's attempt would pave the way for other challengers to follow suit.

Likely candidates include time trial specialists Bradley Wiggins and Fabian Cancellara, while Merckx has been quoted as telling French radio this evening that "Tony Martin will pulverise Voigt's record."

While Jensie's record is unlikely to stand the test of time, he has ensured his place in the history books and provided a fitting and hugely popular conclusion to a memorable career.

It doesn't end here: Jens will travel to the UK this weekend to take part in a charity sportive in the New Forest, before appearing at The Cycle Show in Birmingham next Sunday along with his record-breaking Trek bike.

One last chance then, to hear that famous slogan...

1 Comments