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Fastest woman in the worldVittoria Bussi chases the world hour record on the bike

Andreas Kublik

 · 08.05.2025

Fastest woman in the world: Vittoria Bussi chases the world hour record on the bikePhoto: Getty Images/Bas Czerwinski
Fast soloist: Vittoria Bussi, here at the 2020 World Championships in the individual time trial on the race track in Imola
New attempt at the women's world hour record: Vittoria Bussi wants to set a new world hour record on 9 May 2025 (Friday). The Italian has already held the record since 2023.

She hasn't had enough yet: on 23 October 2023, Vittoria Bussi set a new hourly world record, becoming the first woman to break the 50 km/h sound barrier. Now she's making another attempt. The International Cycling Union (UCI) has announced a new attempt for Friday, 9 May, which will take place on the track in Aguascalientes, Mexico. There, the 38-year-old Italian had also the old record of 50.267 kilometres. "I'm over the moon that I have the chance to break the world hour record," said Bussi according to the UCI press release. In the local cycling stadium, athletes benefit from the lower air resistance in the thin mountain air. The city of Aguascalientes lies at just under 1900 metres above sea level.

Late starter in cycling

Beaming with joy: Vittoria Bussi being honoured as a world record holder in 2023Photo: Getty Images/Francesco PrandoniBeaming with joy: Vittoria Bussi being honoured as a world record holder in 2023

The doctor of mathematics, a former middle-distance runner, came to cycling late in life. "My cycling career really only started with the world hour record," emphasised the record holder, who was the fastest woman in the world for the first time in 2018. To make the trip to Mexico worthwhile, Bussi also wants to try to improve the world record in the 4000 metre single pursuit afterwards. The current record stands at 4:24.060 minutes, set by Great Britain's Anna Morris. "It would be a great historic moment for women's cycling if we could break both records at the same time. It would be an honour for me to try," said Bussi before the attempts.

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The development of the women's hourly world record (since the rule change in 2014)

  • 13.10.2023: Vittoria Bussi (ITA), Velodromo Bicentenario, Aguascalientes (Mexico)
    50.267 km
  • 23.05.2022: Ellen van Dijk (NED), Tissot Velodrome, Grenchen (Switzerland)
    49.254 km
  • 30.09.2021: Joscelin Lowden (GBR), Tissot Velodrome, Grenchen (Switzerland)
    48.405 km
  • 13.09.2018: Vittoria Bussi (ITA), Velodromo Bicentenario, Aguascalientes (Mexico)
    48.007 km
  • 27.02.2016: Evelyn Stevens (USA), Colorado Springs Velodrome (USA)
    47.980 km
  • 22.01.2016: Bridie O'Donnell (AUS), Adelaide's Super Drome (Australia)
    46.882 km
  • 12.09.2015: Molly Shaffer Van Houweling (USA), Aguascalientes (Mexico)
    46,273 km
Andreas Kublik

Andreas Kublik has been travelling the world's race courses as a professional sports expert for TOUR for a quarter of a century - from the Ironman in Hawaii to countless world championships from Australia to Qatar and the Tour de France as a permanent business trip destination. A keen cyclist himself with a penchant for suffering - whether it's mountain bike marathons, the Ötztaler or a painful self-awareness trip on the Paris-Roubaix pavé.

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