Dan Bigham entered the history books on 19 August 2022 when he broke the world hour record and set a new benchmark of 55.548 kilometres. But his record would not stand for long. Filippo Ganna drove 56.792 kilometres in one hour on 8 October.
Click through: Filippo Ganna's world hour record bike
The special thing about Bigham's world hour record is that he is not a professional from the World Tour, but works as an aerodynamics consultant for the Ineos Grenadiers team. He has already broken the British hour record in 2021. He answers questions in the TOUR interview.
Dan Bigham in an interview
Interview Kristian Bauer
TOUR: Your record surprised many - what was the key to your success?
Bigham: There is a lot of science involved to understand which points all need to be considered and what is secondary. I've been working towards this with great ambition for two years and have improved many details. I was even involved in the development of the Pinarello frame. The body position is absolutely crucial - if I lift my head or leave the perfect position, the air resistance increases by around seven per cent - that's a lot. It's very hard to hold the perfect position for so long, but I've practised it a lot.
TOUR: Were you optimistic that you could break the record?
Bigham: We did a test run in June and I unofficially broke the record. That's how I knew it was possible.
I've been working towards the record for two years
TOUR: How did you train for the record?
Bigham: I train 95 per cent of my time on the time trial bike on the Smarttrainer - four or five hours, mostly in the time trial position. That way you get used to the position.
TOUR: They say you sometimes even train in an airtight full-body protective suit?
Bigham: Yes, you have to get your body used to the temperature. I trained in the suit for an hour or two. It's not really fun, but at the end of the day it helped me progress.
TOUR: You have been working in the field of aerodynamics for years. Where have you made the most progress?
Bigham: There is no one single adjusting screw. But the customised racing suits and shoes have made a big leap forward. The biggest advance is that we can now measure air resistance better - whether in the wind tunnel or in the velodrome. This allows us to test and optimise again and again.
TOUR: What advice would you give to an amateur athlete who wants to improve their aerodynamics on a budget?
Bigham: My advice is to use the Aerotune software. This is a German company, by the way. It makes it very easy to carry out your own tests. You have to understand what is faster, then you can achieve improvements without having to rely on tips from others.
The history of the world hour record
- 08.10.2022: Filippo Ganna (ITA), Tissot Velodrome Suisse, Grenchen (SUI), 56.792
- 19.08.2022: Dan Bigham (GBR), Tissot Velodrome, Grenchen (SUI), 55.548 km
- 16.04.2019: Victor Campenaerts (BEL), Velodromo Bicentenario, Aguascalientes (MEX), 55.089 km
- 07.06.2015: Bradley Wiggins (GBR), Lee Valley VeloPark, London (GBR), 54.526 km
- 02.05.2015: Alex Dowsett (GBR), National Cycling Centre, Manchester (GBR), 52.937 km
- 08.02.2015: Rohan Dennis (AUS), Velodrome Suisse, Grenchen (SUI), 52.491 km
- 30.10.2014: Matthias Brändle (AUT), UCI World Cycling Centre, Aigle (SUI), 51.852 km
- 18.09.2014: Jens Voigt (GER), Velodrome Suisse, Grenchen (SUI), 51.110 km
Kristian Bauer
Editor
