Cycling Hour Record: Vittoria Bussi sets new women’s mark for third time

Vittoria Bussi broke cycling’s hour record for women for a third time on Sunday.

The Italian rider covered a distance of 50.455km on the Velodromo Bicentenario in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

The 38-year-old set the new mark after abandoning an attempt just over the halfway point on Saturday.

Bussi held the previous record having become the first woman to break the 50km barrier when she covered 50.267km on the same velodrome in October 2023.

She also held the hour record for three years from September 2018 to September 2021, when her mark of 48.007km was bettered by British rider Joss Lowden (48.405km).

Dutch rider Ellen van Dijk then covered 49.254km in May 2022, before Bussi regained the record in 2023.

“I can say with a smile that I contributed to the history of the hour record for women,” said Bussi.

“This record has always been really special to me as an athlete and as a person, and I hope I have transmitted to young generations and people that sport is not just an athletic performance but that athletes bring messages to the world.

“‘The hour’ taught me that one of the most important things in life is to understand the preciousness of time in every single instant of our life.”

The current men’s record holder is Italy’s Filippo Ganna, who covered 56.792km in October 2022.

Bussi is set to attempt another world record in Aguascalientes – the women’s 4km individual.

The record has been lowered several times since the distance for the women’s individual pursuit was increased from 3km to 4km in January, making it the same as the men’s event.

British rider Anna Morris holds the current record of four minutes 24.060 seconds, set in Manchester in February.