The hour record is one of the most mythical events in cycling. For 60 minutes, the rider who tries to record the best time gets on the bike to try to cover the greatest possible distance in that interval, usually at a velodrome. Since 2022, that honor has been held by Filippo Ganna. The Italian INEOS Grenadiers cyclist has been on the throne for more than 3 years thanks to his 56,792 kilometers. But could he soon lose it?
The 30-year-old British rider, Harry Tanfield, has revealed in statements reported by the BBC that he will try to break the hour record soon.
If he succeeds, he would be the fourth Briton to take the record, recording the longest distance ridden on track in 60 minutes - since the UCI changed the rules in 2014 - after Alex Dowsett, Bradley Wiggins and Dan Bigham.
"I identified this year, after the Games, as the time when I would have the freedom to give it a go. I've been preparing for this since I returned to training after the Games, so it's been months of training and learning to get to this point. On D-day, my goal is to ride the perfect race for my ability. If I can do that and put it all into practice, I'll be happy," he said.
Read also
Will Pogacar and Evenepoel try it?
A few weeks ago, the hour record was already a topic of conversation. The legendary Eddy Merckx, who broke it in 1972, challenged Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel to try the challenge. Both are currently two of the best cyclists in the world, and achieving this milestone would round off the record, especially the former.
"My career would not be complete without the Record. At the end of 1972, I was tired, out of shape, but after three weeks of specific preparation in Italy, I was recovered. We crossed the Atlantic to Mexico and everything went well. But I suffered a lot. After that effort, I could barely walk for a week," said Eddy Merckx in a conversation with Le Soir last June.
Eddy Merckx challenged Pogacar and Evenepoel to break the hour record
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 93visitors 4
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment