Dutch cyclist Thomas Dekker attempted on Wednesday to break the record for farthest distance covered in one hour, falling short of the current record of 52.491 km (32.616 miles) with a final distance of 52.221 km (32.449 miles), according to Cycling News. Dekker’s performance was within a quarter mile of the one-hour record set by Rohan Dennis at the Velodrome Suisse in Grenchen, Switzerland, earlier in February.
The results of Dekker’s world record attempt at the velodrome in Aguascalientes, Mexico, still need to be ratified by Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) officials, partly due to problems with the official clock, which caused officials to take more than five minutes to confirm the official distance, according to Yahoo Eurosport.
“I knew in advance that Dennis did a very good performance and that it would be very difficult,” Dekker told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf shortly after his attempt. “Unfortunately, my attempt not good enough, but I could do nothing more than this. For myself, I have done well. It would have been worse if I had only been a few seconds away.”
Dekker is one of a handful of elite cyclists to attempt the hour record following a recent change in UCI regulations over the kind of bicycles competitors may ride in the event. As Outside wrote last June, requirements had until last year been almost atavistically restrictive, with prohibitions on shaped tubes, drop handlebars, and other modifications that make a track bike faster and more aerodynamic. Following the rule change, five attempts at the hour record have taken place in the past six months alone, resulting in new records set by Jens Voigt in September and Matthias Brändle in October.