Molly Shaffer Van Houweling is back at it, setting a September 12 date to attempt the UCI hour record at the Velodromo Bicentenario in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The high altitude velodrome is well-known to set fast times.
“Mexico has a special place in the UCI hour record history, as the site of records by Eddy Merckx, Jeannie Longo, and Leontien van Moorsel,” Van Houweling said. “I hope my upcoming attempt will be part of that proud history.”
Van Houweling first broke the U.S. hour record last December and has made multiple attempts since. Her latest attempt in early July extended the U.S. hour record mark to 46.088km, longer than the current UCI hour record of 46.065km set by van Moorsel in 2003. However, that attempt did not qualify for the UCI hour record, as she had not been enrolled in the Biological Passport for long enough for the UCI to validate it before her attempt.
“It is an honor and an immense challenge to take on the most epic record in all of cycling. I have had several opportunities to ride on the track in Aguascalientes, and I know that it is a fantastic facility,” Van Houweling said.
In May 2014, the UCI modernized the hour record, allowing bikes that conform to the rules for endurance track events. The rule change sparked interest again in the record, but mostly on the men’s side with the record having been broken five times. Bradley Wiggins set a mark of 54.526km on June 7.
UCI president Brian Cookson is happy to see a second attempt at the record on the women’s side after Sarah Storey’s unsuccessful attempt in February.
“I am delighted that another athlete will make an attempt on the women’s UCI hour record. It will be very exciting to see what she can achieve in her attempt at the world record.”
The post Van Houweling to attempt UCI hour record appeared first on VeloNews.com.
View the full article
