News: Joss Lowden Breaks Women’s Hour Record

Britain’s Joss Lowden broke the Women’s Hour Record at the Tissot Velodrome in Grenchen (Granges), Switzerland when she rode a distance of 48.405km

News: Joss Lowden Breaks Women’s Hour Record

Britain’s Joss Lowden broke the Women’s Hour Record at the Tissot Velodrome in Grenchen (Granges), Switzerland when she rode a distance of 48.405km. This exceptional performance sees the British rider break the record of 48.405 km established by the Italian Vittoria Bussi on 13 September 2018 in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

To achieve her goal of breaking the hour record which she had already done in training, Lowden was riding a massive of 64 × 15, riding negative splits in the final quarter-hour, and going faster with each passing minute. With 10 minutes remaining, Lowden was 25 seconds ahead of the world record pace and continued to keep push hard on the pedals. After the attempt, Joscelin Lowden said “It was a conservative (effort). I played it safe. It was a controlled effort.”

However, she admitted having gone through a lot of self-doubt in the month leading up to today’s attempt: “I began to question my preparation for it. I questioned why I put it off the back of the World Championships with three races. A lot of people said ‘that’s not good preparation for the Hour’ and they weren’t wrong, It wasn’t…. but the point was it was enough to do what I needed to do and what I wanted to do so I’m pleased with how it went and I’m pleased I pushed through with what my plan was.”

Her partner, Dan Bigham who was trackside helping Joss to the hour record, will try on Friday to break the UK hour record held by Bradley Wiggins.

Photos: James Huntly

Women:
— 30.09.2021: Joscelin Lowden (GBR), Tissot Velodrome, Grenchen (SUI), 48.405km
— 13.09.2018: Vittoria Bussi (ITA), Velodromo Bicentenario, Aguascalientes (MEX), 48.007km
— 06.10.2017: Vittoria Bussi (ITA), Velodromo Bicentenario, Aguascalientes (MEX), 47.576km
— 27.02.2016: Evelyn Stevens (USA), Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center Velodrome (USA), 47.980km
— 22.01.2016: Bridie O’Donnell (AUS), Adelaide’s Super-Drome (AUS), 46.882km
— 12.09.2015: Molly Shaffer Van Houweling (USA), Velodromo Bicentenario, Aguascalientes (MEX), 46.273km
— 28.02.2015: Sarah Storey (GBR), Lee Valley VeloPark, London (GBR), 45,502km.

Men:
— 16.04.2019: Victor Campenaerts (BEL), Velodromo Bicentenario, Aguascalientes (MEX), 55.089km
— 22.08.2018: Dion Beukeboom (NED), Velodromo Bicentenario, Aguascalientes (MEX), 52.757km
— 26.07.2018: Martin Toft Madsen (DEN), Velodromo Bicentenario, Aguascalientes (MEX), 53.630km
— 07.06.2015: Bradley Wiggins (GBR), Lee Valley VeloPark, London (GBR), 54.526km
— 02.05.2015: Alex Dowsett (GBR), National Cycling Centre, Manchester (GBR), 52.937km
— 14.03.2015: Gustav Larsson (SWE), National Cycling Centre, Manchester (GBR), 50.016km
— 25.02.2015: Thomas Dekker (NED), Velodromo Bicentenario, Aguascalientes (MEX), 52.221km
— 08.02.2015: Rohan Dennis (AUS), Velodrome Suisse, Grenchen (SUI), 52.491km
— 31.01.2015: Jack Bobridge (AUS), Darebin International Sports Centre, Melbourne (AUS), 51.300km
— 30.10.2014: Matthias Brändle (AUT), UCI World Cycling Centre, Aigle (SUI), 51.852km
— 18.09.2014: Jens Voigt (GER), Velodrome Suisse, Grenchen (SUI), 51.110km.