BMC Racing Team’s Australian rider Rohan Dennis sets the new hour record with 52.491 kilometers (32.616 mi), beating Matthias Brändle’s record by over 600 metres, at the Velodrome Suisse in Grenchen, Switzerland.

Dennis used 56×14 gear ratio while breaking the record. The previous record was 51.852 km (32.22 mi).

Rohan Dennis breaks the Hour Record
Riding on the Swiss track in Grenchen, the Australian rider was clearly faster than the previous record holder, Austrian Matthias Brändle. He covered 40 kilometers in 45 minutes 26 seconds and continued to push his limits all the way until the hour mark. Although his average speed dropped slightly inside the last ten minutes, he had enough in hand to succeed.

The Australian was already ahead of Brändl’s pace even in the first kilometer, and after 20 minutes, his average speed was 52.6 km/h. By the halfway mark, he was even faster: 52.7 km/h. He continued to increase the page, by the time he reached the 40-minute mark, his average speed reached 57.8 km/h.

Finally, he passed Brändle’s 51.852 kilometers with over 90 seconds to spare and from there, it was simply a matter of how much he could add to the record. He completed the hour with 52.491 kilometers (32.616 mi).

“I am pretty tired but really, really proud. BMC made it easy. The whole week leading into this was very stressless. There was no pressure. It was perfect for me. It almost felt easy, although it wasn’t. It is great.”

Rohan Dennis' Hour Record BMC bike
Rohan Dennis’ Hour Record bike: a customised BMC TrackMachine TR01. Dennis used a Shimano Dura-Ace crankset with an SRM power meter. The gear ratio was 56×14. The regular TrackMachine TR01 was designed for optimum aerodynamics within a velodrome, taking advantage of the constant zero-degree yaw wind and lack of crosswind interference. Highlights of the ‘SubA’ aero design include an integrated hinge fork, 3:1 teardrop truncated tube shapes and flow disrupting ‘tripwire’ technology.
The p2p (position to perform) triangle concept stem allowed this aero advantage to be utilized in harmony with varying rider position. The stock bike also weighs just 6.45kg, which BMC has had to increase to 6.8kg to meet UCI regulations.

M. Özgür Nevres

I am a software developer, an ex-racing cyclist (at the amateur level) and a science enthusiast. Also an animal lover! I write about cycling on this website, cycling-passion.com. You can check out my social media profiles by clicking on their icons.

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