Dutchwoman Ellen van Dijk broke the women’s hour record by crossing a distance of 49.254 kilometers on Monday at the velodrome track in Granges, Switzerland.
At the end of his effort, the world time trial champion improved on the previous record, dated from September 2021, by 849 m. A mark established by Briton Joss Lowden, who covered 48.405 km at both Barns.
Supported by the Trek team, van Dijk quickly placed himself at the top of Lowden’s scoreboard. With a provisional gear ratio of 58 x 14, it turns for a long time at a speed of 18 1/10 s per lap of 250 m.
Advised by her trainer Josu Larrazabal, the Dutchwoman covered the first half hour on the basis of 49.411 km, before slowing down slightly (two, three -tenths of a second per lap), without breaking free.
I’m really happy that it’s over and that I managed to break the record, said the cyclist after his performance. I made all our plans. If I felt I could, I would have wanted to speed up in the second half, but I slowed down a bit.
In the end, I started not to have the best position on the bike. But I stare at the black line. I gave the best of myself, and I have no regretshe added.
At age 35 and reigning European champion in road racing, Ellen van Dijk practiced track at the start of her career. He notably won the world scratch title in 2008.
The third Dutchman to appear on the record list after Cornelia van Oosten (43.082 km in 1978) and Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel (46.065 km in 2003, at altitude in Mexico City), he did not announce a specific and quantified goal .
Van Dijk said above all what he wanted inspire further efforts that is why more women are facing it in the coming years.
Moreover, Italian Filippo Ganna’s plan to tackle the men’s record time (55.089 km) in the month of August is also at the Granges velodrome.
Source: Radio-Canada
