Almost two months after one of its engineers, the Italian Filippo Ganna became the new hour record holder on Saturday, covering 56.792 kilometers on the track of the velodrome in Granges, Switzerland.
" It's incredible.
It's fantastic.
I achieved my goal.
I thank my staff and all those who contributed to this record”, he rejoiced after the effort.
Starting cautiously, the 2020 and 2021 double time trial world champion gradually increased his pedaling rate to improve by more than a kilometer the mark established by his performance engineer at Ineos-Grenadiers, the Briton Dan Bigham, 31 years, on August 19 in the same velodrome (55.548 kilometers).
A former track racer, Bigham had attempted this world record in order to collect data likely to help... Ganna in his quest for the hour record.
A disappointing season so far
With this performance, Ganna, 26, erases the mark of Briton Chris Boardman (56.375 km) from the shelves in 1996. This distance had been canceled by the International Cycling Union after a change in the regulations concerning equipment.
The first Italian to break the hour record since Francesco Moser (1984), Ganna has established himself in recent years as one of the most impressive riders in the peloton.
In addition to his two time trial world champion titles in 2020 and 2021, he won four individual pursuit gold medals at the Worlds and Olympic gold in the team pursuit event in 2021 at the Tokyo Games.
His record also embellishes a so far disappointing season.
Only seventh in the recent Worlds time trial in Wollongong, Australia, Ganna was also beaten at the European Championships and disappointed in the Tour de France in July, taking only 4th place from 1st stage and the 5th in Rocamadour.
Present in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines for the Track Worlds from October 12 to 16
Saturday, in the Granges velodrome, Ganna started on a relatively cautious basis, counting up to almost four seconds behind Bigham.
But the Italian, perfectly profiled on his bike created especially for him by the Pinarello brand with a 3D printed frame to increase aerodynamic performance, gradually caught up with his engineer to pass in front after twenty minutes.
“The hardest threshold came in the last five minutes.
I didn't have enough energy to do the 57 kilometres.
But that's okay,” smiled Ganna.
In front of a conquered and noisy public, the slender Piedmontese (1.93 m, 76 kilos) crossed the line raising his arms, before being hugged by members of the Italian delegation of track cycling.
After the ecstasy of the hour record, Ganna could experience new joys during the Worlds on track, in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, near Paris, from October 12 to 16.