"Delving into the gritty details: Discovering British cyclist Charlie Tanfield's rigorous training regimen in his bid to surpass the UCI Hour Record"
Charlie Tanfield, a former world and European champion in the team pursuit, and an Olympic silver medallist, is set to challenge the UCI Hour Record in a behind-closed-doors event in Konya, Turkey. The current record, held by Filippo Ganna of Italy, stands at an impressive 56.792km.
Tanfield's strategy for the attempt will be a 'negative split', aiming to maintain a consistent pace throughout the hour. This approach was not used by Ganna, who set the record last October, nor by Dan Bigham, Tanfield's friend and team-mate, who came second furthest in the UCI Hour Record with a distance of 55.548km in 2022. Bigham's attempt served as a blueprint for Ganna's record-breaking ride.
Tanfield began preparing for the Hour Record attempt shortly after the Olympics in Paris last August, focusing on extending his threshold power. His training has included altitude training in Andorra, heat training sessions, and a lifetime's worth of revision. However, he has not sought advice or help from Bigham for this attempt, choosing to carve his own path.
Despite the challenging and difficult journey towards the record, Tanfield is confident he is in the best form of his life before the attempt. His bike setup for the UCI Hour Record attempt will be similar to the one he rode at the Paris Olympics, a Hope-Lotus HB.T bike.
In the same event, para-cyclist Will Bjergfelt will attempt the UCI Hour Record in the C5 category. Bjergfelt currently holds the para-cycling UCI Hour Record with a distance of 51.471km, surpassing the previous best of 47.569km set by Andrea Tarlao of Italy in 2014.
Meanwhile, track sprinter Matthew Richardson will attempt to break the flying 200m world record during the special event organized by British Cycling.
Here's a summary of the current UCI Hour Records:
|Record Type|Holder|Distance (km)|Date| |-|-|-|-| |Men's UCI Hour Record|Filippo Ganna (ITA)|56.792|8 Oct 2022| |Men's Para-Cycling C5 UCI Hour Record|Will Bjergfelt (GBR)|51.471|14 Aug 2025|
These are the most recent and authoritative records for both able-bodied and para-cycling Hour Records under UCI regulations.
Tanfield plans to employ a 'negative split' strategy for his UCI Hour Record attempt, differentiating from the approaches used by Filippo Ganna and Dan Bigham. Despite the unique path he has chosen, he has not sought advice from Bigham for this challenge. Meanwhile, para-cyclist Will Bjergfelt will attempt to better his own C5 UCI Hour Record during the same event.
