Starting cautiously, the 2020 and 2021 double time trial world champion gradually increased his pedaling rate to ultimately dislodge his performance engineer at Ineos-Grenadiers, the Briton Dan Bigham, 31, who had broken the record of the hour to everyone's surprise with 55.548 kilometers in the same velodrome on August 19th.

A former track racer, Bigham had attempted this world record in order to collect data likely to help... Ganna in his quest for the hour record.

With this performance, Ganna, 26, erases the mark of Briton Chris Boardman (56.375 km) from the shelves in 1996. This distance had been canceled by the International Cycling Union after a change in the regulations concerning equipment.

Filippo Ganna poses with the official announcement of his world hour record set by covering a distance of 56.792km on the Swiss velodrome in Granges on October 8, 2022 Valentin FLAURAUD AFP / Archives

The first Italian to set the hour record since Francesco Moser (1984), Ganna has established himself in recent years as one of the most impressive riders in the peloton.

In addition to his two time trial world champion titles in 2020 and 2021, he won four individual pursuit gold medals at the Worlds and Olympic gold in the team pursuit event in 2021 at the Tokyo Games.

His record also embellishes a so far disappointing season.

Only seventh in the recent time trial at the Worlds in Wollongong, Australia, Ganna was also beaten at the European Championships and only placed 4th at best, far from his standards, in the times of the Tour de France. in July.

Saturday, in the Granges velodrome, Ganna started on a relatively cautious basis, counting up to almost four seconds behind Bigham.

But the Italian, perfectly profiled on his bike created especially for him by the Pinarello brand with a 3D printed frame to increase aerodynamic performance, gradually caught up with his engineer to pass in front after twenty minutes.

In front of a conquered and noisy public, the slender Piedmontese (1.93 m, 76 kilos) crossed the line raising his arms, before being hugged by members of the Italian delegation of track cycling.

After the ecstasy of the hour record, Ganna could experience new joys during the Worlds on track, in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, near Paris, from October 12 to 16.

© 2022 AFP