Nice Britain’s Will Bjergfelt broke the UCI Hour Report within the C5 classification on Thursday, and have become the primary para-cyclist in historical past to cross the 50km barrier.
The 46-year-old rode a distance of 51.471km on the velodrome in Konya, Turkey. In doing so, he beat the earlier report – 47.569km, set in 2014 by Italian Andrea Tarlao – by nearly 4 kilometres.
Talking earlier than his try, Bjergfelt stated he was “fairly assured” in his skill to set a brand new report.
“I positively wish to see if I can crack 50km, and if I do, I’ll be the primary para-cyclist to interrupt that barrier. That will probably be one thing that’s fairly particular,” he stated.
In 2015, Bjergfelt was hit head-on by a automobile, and shattered his proper leg. Having beforehand ridden for UCI Continental groups, he returned to biking shortly afterwards, and obtained a C5 para-cycling classification, given to these with ‘least impairment’.
He then went on to grow to be the primary para-cyclist to compete within the Tour of Britain, and later a street world champion, successful the C5 occasion in Glasgow in 2023.
“I wish to put on the market that, even in case you do have an impairment or a slight incapacity, there’s so many wonderful issues that you are able to do, and it shouldn’t maintain anybody again,” Bjergfelt stated.
“If you happen to’d love to do it, crack on and do it. I wish to attempt to encourage individuals actually to become involved.”
In making ready for his Hour Report, the Brit centered on warmth coaching, finishing indoor turbo periods whereas wearing full winter equipment.
He had by no means beforehand ridden on the observe in Konya, which is at 1,200m altitude, and advantages from decreased air density, thus lowering aerodynamic drag.
For his try, Bjergfelt competed for the primary time on GB’s Paris Olympics bike, the Hope-Lotus HB.T – “the quickest bike I’ve ever ridden on the observe,” he stated.
“The Hour Report in para-cycling has stood for a very long time now, 2014, and since then, aerodynamics have superior massively,” Bjergfelt stated earlier than his try. “I really feel like I’ll be in a really, superb place to ahead the report on and push it on and make it one thing huge once more.”
There will probably be two additional report makes an attempt from British cyclists in Konya on Thursday; Charlie Tanfield will attempt to break Filippo Ganna’s benchmark within the UCI Hour Report, and observe sprinter Matthew Richardson will try to grow to be the primary individual in historical past to go beneath 9 seconds within the flying 200m.
