Hour record
The hour record is the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour on a bicycle from a stationary start. Cyclists attempt this record alone on the track without other competitors present. It is considered one of the most prestigious records in cycling. Since it was first set, cyclists ranging from relatively unknown amateurs to well-known professionals have held the record. There is now one unified record for upright bicycles meeting the requirements of the Union Cycliste Internationale. Hour-record attempts for UCI bikes are made in a velodrome.
Early hour records (until 1972)
The first universally accepted record was in 1876 when the American Frank Dodds rode on a penny-farthing. The first recorded distance was set in 1873 by James Moore in Wolverhampton, riding an Ariel 49" high wheel bicycle; however, the distance was recorded at exactly, leading to the theory that the distance was just approximated and not accurately measured.The first officially recognised record was set by Henri Desgrange at the Buffalo Velodrome, Paris in 1893 following the formation of the International Cycling Association, the forerunner of the modern-day UCI. Throughout the run up to the First World War, the record was broken on five occasions by Swiss rider Oscar Egg and Frenchman Marcel Berthet, and due to the attempts being highly popular and guaranteeing rich attendances, it is said that each ensured he did not beat the record by too much of a margin, enabling further lucrative attempts by the other.
The hour was attempted sporadically over the following 70 years, with most early attempts taking place at the Buffalo Velodrome in Paris, before the Velodromo Vigorelli in Milan became popular in 1930s and 1940s sparking attempts from leading Italian riders and former Giro d'Italia winners such as Fausto Coppi and Ercole Baldini. Coppi's record set in 1942, during the Second World War, despite Milan being bombed nightly by Allied forces, was eventually broken in 1956 by Jacques Anquetil on his third attempt. In 1967, 11 years later, Anquetil again broke the hour record, with, but the record was disallowed because he refused to take the newly introduced post-race doping test. He had objected to what he saw as the indignity of having to urinate in a tent in front of a crowded velodrome and said he would take the test later at his hotel. The international judge ruled against the idea, and a scuffle ensued that involved Anquetil's manager, Raphaël Géminiani. In 1968, Ole Ritter broke the record in Mexico City, the first attempt at altitude since Willie Hamilton in 1898.
The women's hour record was first established in 1893 by Mlle de Saint-Sauveur at the Vélodrome Buffalo in Paris, setting a total distance of. The record was improved several times over the next years, until Louise Roger reached in 1897 also at Vélodrome Buffalo. In 1911 the longest standing men's or women's record was set by the 157 cm tall Alfonsina Strada: riding a 20 kg machine. From 1947 to 1952, Élyane Bonneau and Jeannine Lemaire set several new hour records, the last of which was by Lemaire in 1952. The first women's hour record approved by the UCI was by Tamara Novikova in 1955. However Lemaire's 1952 non-UCI record was not bettered until Elsy Jacobs broke the 40 kmh barrier in 1958, the year Jacobs had won the inaugural women's road world championship. Jacobs' 1958 41.347 km UCI record would not be bettered until 1972.
Historical hour records
| Date | Rider | Location | Distance | Increase | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1873 | James Moore  cite book |title= The Historical Dictionary of Cycling |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZdXCmwpk-SAC&pg=PA381 |isbn = 9780810871755|last1 = Heijmans|first1 = Jeroen|last2 = Mallon|first2 = Bill|date = 2011-10-16| publisher=Scarecrow PressUCI hour record (1972–2014)1972–1984: Merckx, Moser and new technologyIn 1972, Eddy Merckx set a new hour record at in Mexico City at an altitude of where he proclaimed it to have been "the hardest ride I have ever done".The record stood until January 1984, when Francesco Moser set a new record at. This was the first noted use of disc wheels, which, along with Moser's skin suit, provided aerodynamic gains. Moser's record would eventually be moved in 1997 to "best human effort". 1990s: non-traditional riding positionsIn 1993 and 1994, Graeme Obree, who built his own bikes, posted two records with his hands tucked under his chest. In 1994, Moser set the veteran's record in Mexico City, riding with bullhorn handlebars, steel airfoil tubing, disk wheels and skinsuit. Moser's distance beat his 1984 record and Obree's 1993 ride.In May 1994, the UCI outlawed the "praying mantis" style. Spaniard Miguel Induráin and Swiss Tony Rominger subsequently broke the record with a more traditional tri-bar setup; Rominger rode 55.291 km. Chris Boardman took up the challenge using a modified version of the Lotus 110 bicycle, a successor to the earlier Lotus 108 bicycle he'd ridden to victory at the 1992 Olympic Games. South African company Aerodyne Technology built the frame. Boardman set the UCI Absolute record of in 1996, using another position pioneered by Obree, his arms out in front in a "Superman" position. This too was considered controversial by the UCI, and while the record was allowed to stand, the position was banned. This enabled Boardman's 1996 record to stand for about 26 years. In October 2022, Filippo Ganna unified the records, beating Boardman's best human effort record and Daniel Bigham's official UCI Hour record on a traditionally shaped, though uniquely manufactured, bicycle. 1997 UCI rule changeWith the increasing gap between modern bicycles and what was available at the time of Merckx's record, the UCI established two records in 1997:
In 2005, Ondřej Sosenka improved Boardman's performance at using a 54×13 gear. However, Sosenka failed a doping control in 2001 and then again in 2008, the latter resulting in a career-ending suspension which puts in doubt the validity of his record. All women's records from 1986 to 1996 were recategorized to Best Human Effort. Hour record holders (men's)
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