Cycling: Now it's history again, Eddy Merckx's 1972 world hour record. After several records in the 1990s that used wheels that were anything but the kind the Belgian once used, the world cycling association UCI regulated the trials. From then on, only classic wheels are used. The Czech Ondrej Sosenka coped best with it and improved the record to 49.7 kilometers.
However, this record is unlikely to last much longer. After Fabian Cancellara (Trek) and Bradley Wiggins (Sky) have already expressed their interest in the hour record, it should now only be a matter of time before one of the two snatches the record.
One hurdle was the previous rule, which the UCI wanted to overturn under its new president Brian Cookson. This has now happened. As part of the modernization of UCI Equipment Regulations it is now allowed to use wheels, as known from the track pursuit competitions. These guarantee better aerodynamics and should therefore lead to an improvement in the existing record.
“Nowadays there is a general consensus that competition material must also reflect the developments of the time. This development is positive for cycling, especially for the hour record”, according to Cookson.
Should Cancellara and Wiggins tackle the lesson, Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) might also feel addressed. The new regulation should accommodate him.