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news
Velodrome interior (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 by Hugo Cardoso:Flickr)Dutch track cyclist targets Sir Bradley Wiggins’ UCI Hour Record
A Dutch track cyclist has revealed that he plans to attempt to break the UCI Hour Record, currently held by Sir Bradley Wiggins, in August next year.
Dion Beukeboom has chosen Aguascalientes in Mexico as the venue where he will try and beat the 54.526 kilometres Wiggins rode at the Lee Valley VeloPark in June 2015.
The reigning Dutch national individual pursuit champion, Beukeboom was identified by sports scientist Jim van den Berg as having the necessary qualities to break the record, reports AD.nl.
Those include his strength and build and ability to generate power on the bike while maintaining an aerodynamic position.
In 2015, van den Berg coached Thomas Dekker when he made an unsuccessful attempt at the record, also in Aguascalientes.
He believes the venue provides a number of advantages compared to the one where Wiggins set his record, not just because of its altitude of almost 1,900 metres but also because Beukeboom would be free of outside distractions.
“Wiggins rode in London on a track at sea level with high air pressure,” he explained.
“It was a commercial party. Tickets were sold, a book was published about the Hour record attempt, VIPs were invited to come and watch.
“But the Hour record is not as good as it could have been. There is a window of opportunity and we want to climb through it."
He added: "The gain achieved through reduced air pressure is greater than the loss through reduced oxygen input.
“Compared to London, Dion will gain between 25 and 45 watts by making his attempt at Aguascalientes. "
Beukeboom, aged 28, said: “I’m under no illusion that I’m a better cyclist than Wiggins. But I also know that Wiggins rode his record in conditions that weren’t ideal. "
He will build his 2018 season around the Hour record with the support of his new team, the UCI Continental outfit Vlasman Cycling Team.
“Over the past two years I’ve tried to secure a contract with a big team,” he said.
“That didn’t work out, mostly because I’m not good enough, maybe because I’m too nice.
“Sometimes you have to be a bastard as a cyclist. I don’t have that quality,” he added.
“In recent years, I’ve just missed out on the road and on the track.
“But if I’m honest, this is exactly what I’m good at; just an hour of hard work.”
“This is not a publicity stunt,” van den Berg added. “Dion can focus on the effort all year long. He really can.
“We would not spend so much time, money and energy if we thought it was impossible.”
Jens Voigt, in the final ride of his professional career, was the first man to set the Hour record after the UCI changed its rules in 2014 to allow modern bikes and equipment.
The record has subsequently broken by Matthias Brändle, Rohan Dennis and Alex Dowsett, who held it for a month before Wiggins took it from him in 2015.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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17 comments
Good luck to him.
Although the Wiggins record could have been further given the right conditions, I'm not sure that the fact that it was a bit of a circus was a detriment. I was there and the place was an absolute wall of noise (well, more of a Mexican wave of noise actually) for the entire hour. Can't help but think that it would have some positive physcological benefit above riding in a deserted velodrome with one man, his dog and the UCI officials watching.
Like to see Dowsett have another crack...
I'd say being caught 4 times in 10 years counts as regular...
But the statement is that Merckxx was a 'regularly caught/DQ'd doper'. If this is the case it would be in the public domain and not 'swept under the carpet', otherwise it's simply an unevidenced assertion.
BTW, I'm under no illusions about the 'recovery' habits of cyclists in EM's era, given the conditions they raced in, the pressure on team leaders to earn money for their team mates and their punishing schedules I doubt whether they could operate without stimulants.
Behindthebikesheds, what on earth are you wittering on about? Your argument is all over the place. Boardman broke the athletes hour record using modern clipless pedals, have a look at the footage on YouTube (The final hour) so the UCI didnt change the rules to make riders use clips and straps. What else have you made up in your ramblings and how much of it can we believe?
You're utterly clueless.
yes the UCI did change the rules, at least 3 times, finally unifying them in 2014 and discarded Cb effort to best human effort and non UCI approved.
Go bother to do some research on the matter sonny!
That sounds more or less correct to me.
The best thing is, not that long after Boardman's record was discounted, he went and beat Merxx's record on a normal bike anyway.
Normal-ish. Even that very retro bike was based on a specially developed Look steel frame with particular attention paid to handlebar configuration. But undeniably similar to the Merckx bike. Boardman just squeaked the record with a great deal of effort. I think he had much better form for the 56km aero record. That's an awesomely good mark and it's telling that even Wiggins on an absolutely modern bike is still 2km short of it.
The absolute (best effort) and hour records run parallel, and both are UCI categorisations.
Anyone lucky enough to witness the attempt will be able to hear the Beukeboom as he goes past...
Don't they run separate records in the Olympics for high altitude? Don't the Mexico City Olympics not get counted as 'records' in regular altitude games? Would have thought same would be true of UCI records.
Nope: Bob Beamon's long jump record stood for yonks, and that was set in Mexico City.
Edit: that was his world record. Just Googled, and his Olympic Record still stands.
Nope, they all count.
Surprised they don't allow recumbents like the UMCA do for 'record' breaking efforts.
The UCI made a complete bodge of it because they simply didn't like who was breaking the record, when Obree and latterly Boardman got the record which to my eyes still stands at 56.6259km (set in '96 at thr age of 28).
They immediately changed the rules the following year so it had to be done like it was at altitude by Merckx in '72 on a regular steel framed bike with toe-clips and straps and box section wheels, note Merckx himself a regularly caught/DQ'd doper throughout the 70s.
So, in 2001 CB set out to beat the newly regulated record and absolutely spent himself doing 49.441km, just edging EM record at altitude.
That Moser in 1994 set a distance of 51.84 at altitude at the age of 43, after being long retired, shows you how much of an advantage it is, oh and that Moser himself admitted to blood doping (in '99 when essentially he had to admit to it) and was aided and abetted by Francesco Conconi (who was a leader in EPO use). It also shows you how the UCI didn't give a fuck about doping to get records/win races, nor changing rules on a whim to suit their agenda, so they're most definitely not bothered about parity with respect to altitude.
The only record I'm interested in being beaten is the one Boardman holds, anything else is simply not a record, just like others beating Tommy Godwin's 365 day effort by methods that are allowed now by twtisting the rules but would not have being back then.
Two wheels, not laying down, whatever upright body position you want and not at altitude, the tech is the tech, I don't have any beef with that whatsoever, it's just how it is, but to allow huge changes beyond that like riding a recumbent or riding at altitude or being delivered by motorvehicle to a starting point time and again to gain an advantage makes a mockery of the whole thing.
I was interested in this assertion as I wasn't aware of 'regular' infractions.
Do you have a list? Before I'm accused of not doing research I've Googled the subject and the most I can find is 4, 1 of which is the dubious Giro bust.
If you are inside the side the public sees, there's probably lots bubbling under the surface. My ex-girlfriend was a press officer in the motorsport world and there were many, many stories of behaviour (usually of the recreational drug sort) that could have resulted in bans and exclusions but things always got swept under the carpet and worst case scenario was the driver/rider was 'ill' for that race.
Look how Armstrong (seemingly) had those in charge either hoodwinked or going along with it. Not beyond the realms of possibility that Mercx benefitted in the same way. Sometimes it's if you can't beat em, join em....but you still can't beat em.
If he's too nice is he able to push thru the hurt for the hour record?
There is a difference between fucking other people over and "pushing through the hurt", I suppose.
“Over the past two years I’ve tried to secure a contract with a big team,” he said.
“That didn’t work out, mostly because I’m not good enough, maybe because I’m too nice.
“Sometimes you have to be a bastard as a cyclist. I don’t have that quality,” he added.
“In recent years, I’ve just missed out on the road and on the track.
“But if I’m honest, this is exactly what I’m good at; just an hour of hard work.”
Is this the most honest, self-aware sportsman alive? I like him.