Monday, November 16, 2009

Cancellara Hour Record Attempt at Montichiari (?)




"I have the hour record on my mind," Fabian Cancellara told Bicisport magazine in its November issue. "I am certain that sooner or later I will make it happen. I think I showed that I am suited for this type of effort in Mendrisio. But it is not enough to go strong. You need to know how to give that same effort on the track. I will find time to do it."

Czech Ondrej Sosenka set the current "UCI hour record" of 49.7 kilometres in Moscow, on July 19, 2005. Before Sosenka, Brit Chris Boardman (49.441km) in 2000 and Belgian Eddy Merckx (49.431km) in 1972 made successful record attempts. Cancellara won his third time trial World Championship in Mendrisio, Switzerland, September 24 at an average speed of 51.58km/h, dominating so much that he had time to cruise into the finish line with his hands raised.

A project exists to convince Cancellara to attempt the record in Montichiari (Brescia), Italy, according to Tuttosport. The Montichiari track was inaugurated on May 23rd of this year. The track is 250 meters long, 7 meters wide and the banks are 45 degrees. The track is made from Siberian pine.

The last world record set in Italy was in 1967 at the Rome Olympic Velodrome by Belgian Ferdi Bracke. He beat the distance set by Frenchman Roger Rivière eight years earlier, 48.093 kilometres.

Photos: Cancellara at Mendrisio, the Montichiari track

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1 comment:

  1. I am a big Fabian fan and am going to write to his manager to encourage this. It would make a great documentary film!

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