# Hour record - Jens to take it on!



## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

Is it April 1st? Nope. 
This guy does not stop. He's planning to attempt the hour record in September. This is actually a very smart move. Great publicity for him and Trek. Also getting in before any "big gun" such as Wiggins, Martin, or Cancellara attempts it. I really would like to see more people attempt to get this record. Until then, I say good luck Jens. Shut up clock!

Voigt to attempt hour record | Cyclingnews.com


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

you really think he stands a chance? I seriously doubt it. He used to be decent time trialist, enough to win Criterium Internationale or do well in Paris-Nice or something like that, but never at the level of Wiggo, Cancellara (who is also not at his prime anymore) or Martin, and definitely not lately. I am very skeptical


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

55x11 said:


> you really think he stands a chance? I seriously doubt it. He used to be decent time trialist, enough to win Criterium Internationale or do well in Paris-Nice or something like that, but never at the level of Wiggo, Cancellara (who is also not at his prime anymore) or Martin, and definitely not lately. I am very skeptical


well good thing the record is held by none of them then


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

55x11 said:


> you really think he stands a chance? I seriously doubt it. He used to be decent time trialist, enough to win Criterium Internationale or do well in Paris-Nice or something like that, but never at the level of Wiggo, Cancellara (who is also not at his prime anymore) or Martin, and definitely not lately. I am very skeptical


I think he does have a legitimate shot at it. It's 49.7km or 30.9mi. Regardless it will garner a lot of publicity, which I think is his motivation here.


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

It doesn't hurt for him to go for it. I think that his argument is that he stands a shadow of a chance by being the first person to go for it on modern equipment and he has been secretly planning on it for a while. He said that he isn't under the delusion that his record (if he sets it) will stand after Wiggins/Cancellara/Martin attempt. 

He's bringing attention to the hour and trying to breathe some life into it. I say go for it.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

Trek's marketing department: 
"hey Jensie, bonus check for you if you attempt the hour record"

Jens still has a lot of marketing value for Trek.


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## Winn (Feb 15, 2013)

I think he understands what he is attempting he says this 

"_We have been doing some discrete tests in the velodrome in Roubaix prior to the Dauphiné and we believe that I have a fair chance"_ 

You'd think he was getting good numbers there so why not give it a try... 

Go Jens!


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## deviousalex (Aug 18, 2010)

Haven't the rules changed so they are now allowed to use UCI legal pursuit frames? So TT bars, aero helmet, and double disc wheels are now allowed.

I think he'll be able to do it, but because of technology not human power.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

agreed. I think Jens and Cancellara are THE ONLY riders with some marketing value for TREK.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

burgrat said:


> I think he does have a legitimate shot at it. It's 49.7km or 30.9mi. Regardless it will garner a lot of publicity, which I think is his motivation here.


All Jens has to do is move the Earth 30.9mi in one hour? Nbd.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

A great thing for him to do. It'll be fun for us whether he succeeds or not, though I'm rooting for him. It'll also be the first attempt, AFAIK, under the new rules (^^^) and it will set the stage for those that follow.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Ha. So much for riding the US Pro Challenge and then not touching a bike for a year.


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

As if I needed another reason to like this guy... Go, Jens!

As for the record, I get the feeling it's more about suffering and how much you can take for how long... than it is about speed. I think Jens has a shot.


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## deviousalex (Aug 18, 2010)

55x11 said:


> agreed. I think Jens and Cancellara are THE ONLY riders with some marketing value for TREK.


Are you implying that "The new Trek Madone! DNF like the Schleck's!" is not a good marketing slogan?


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

yeah I forgot about that. So I take it back, Jens has a chance. Full disk wheels and aero frame is a lot easier than doing it Merckx style.
Even though Jens is so cool, he needs to do it old-style, for points. Also, on a yellow neutral support bike that is 4 sizes too small.


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

Opus51569 said:


> As for the record, I get the feeling it's more about suffering and how much you can take for how long... than it is about speed. I think Jens has a shot.


This. Merckx said it was the hardest thing he ever did.


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

55x11 said:


> Also, on a yellow neutral support bike that is 4 sizes too small.


With old school toe clips.


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## Cableguy (Jun 6, 2010)

Very cool he's doing this. Watching him over the years he seems to be very strong at long break away efforts. I think his biggest weakness with time trialing is the aero position, but with the old school hour record there are no aero bars. I think he has a chance, albeit an unlikely one... should be fun.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

FYI Eurosport has started airing commercials of their coverage of his attempt, so their covering it at least is official.


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## J.R. (Sep 14, 2009)

Answered: 11 questions about Jens Voigt's hour record attempt - VeloNews.com

Gallery: Jens Voigt's hour record bike - VeloNews.com


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## phoehn9111 (May 11, 2005)

I would love to see Tony Martin take a shot at this during the offseason,
while he is still in his prime. I understand it could have implications
to his training.


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## wipeout (Jun 6, 2005)

55x11 said:


> you really think he stands a chance? I seriously doubt it. He used to be decent time trialist, enough to win Criterium Internationale or do well in Paris-Nice or something like that, but never at the level of Wiggo, Cancellara (who is also not at his prime anymore) or Martin, and definitely not lately. I am very skeptical


Do you like your crow raw or cooked?


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

wipeout said:


> Do you like your crow raw or cooked?


You missed his follow up post. :wink:



55x11 said:


> yeah I forgot about that. So I take it back, Jens has a chance. Full disk wheels and aero frame is a lot easier than doing it Merckx style.
> Even though Jens is so cool, he needs to do it old-style, for points. Also, on a yellow neutral support bike that is 4 sizes too small.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

"I want to have a go at the one hour record next year after what Jens did last week," Wiggins said.

Wiggins to target Hour Record in 2015 | Cyclingnews.com

Looks like a hour revival might be underway, and Jens was the first on the bandwagon.... all very cool. It was a great decision on his part and perfect timing to end his career and get in there before the big guns got going on it.


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## Cableguy (Jun 6, 2010)

looigi said:


> It was a great decision on his part and perfect timing to end his career and get in there before the big guns got going on it.


It looks cool on paper but I can't really get excited for him considering all he did was go faster using a time trial bike than Sosenka on a road bike. He didn't break anyone's record. I'm glad he did it though as it helped spark interest in this new record, but what he did was in principle similar to posting "First!" ... congratulations I guess?


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## jmorgan (Apr 13, 2012)

Cableguy said:


> It looks cool on paper but I can't really get excited for him considering all he did was go faster using a time trial bike than Sosenka on a road bike. He didn't break anyone's record. I'm glad he did it though as it helped spark interest in this new record, but what he did was in principle similar to posting "First!" ... congratulations I guess?


So when Wiggins, Martin or Cancellara beat Jens time, they won't be beating anyone except for Jens? Had anyone of them done it first would you say the same thing? The UCI (governing body) says he has the hour record, then he does. He used their rules and was the first one to try under the new rules, which any pro could have tried.


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## Winn (Feb 15, 2013)

In 35 years when he tells his grandchildren about it they won't give 2 licks what RBR thought about his record. I say it was a great end to a great career. I hope its not the last we hear from him.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

He made a very respectable showing, one I bet most other pros could not equal. Look at his long career as a brakeaway artist you know he can put down big power for long periods of time. I'm looking forward to seeing the margins the next riders beat him by.


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## Cableguy (Jun 6, 2010)

jmorgan said:


> So when Wiggins, Martin or Cancellara beat Jens time, they won't be beating anyone except for Jens? Had anyone of them done it first would you say the same thing? The UCI (governing body) says he has the hour record, then he does. He used their rules and was the first one to try under the new rules, which any pro could have tried.


Yes and yes. By the way there are many categories of hour records, he doesn't have "the hour record"... he has the "unified hour record." He's also the only person to have attempted that record. I don't dispute he holds the record in this category, it's just not much of an accomplishment... 1) he beat no one, 2) he broke no one's record, 3) those who follow cycling *know* his record will not stand because he's definitely not the fastest.


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## Cableguy (Jun 6, 2010)

looigi said:


> He made a very respectable showing, one I bet most other pros could not equal. Look at his long career as a brakeaway artist you know he can put down big power for long periods of time. I'm looking forward to seeing the margins the next riders beat him by.


I'm guessing Wiggins will go about 2km/hr faster and easily beat it. It was mentioned Jensy's target wattage for the effort was 370, and one of his techs during the event said at one point he had exceeded 400. However, Wiggins has already claimed to have done 475 watts for an hour during a time trial not long ago.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Based on those relative powers (475/370W), Wiggo should go 4.4km further in the hour...roughly...other things being equal.

And Taylor Phinney looks like he want to get a shot at it before the big guns make it unreachable:

" "I've thought about it and I think it would be a cool comeback idea because in these early stages, before the huge guns really set their stamp on the whole thing, it's simpler to be a record holder....I really think Jens was smart more than anything just to be that first one to do it and to hold that record… but I think that's a really cool way to go out as far as his career goes," Phinney said yesterday.

Phinney considers Hour Record attempt comeback | Cyclingnews.com


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## deviousalex (Aug 18, 2010)

Cableguy said:


> It was mentioned Jensy's target wattage for the effort was 370, and one of his techs during the event said at one point he had exceeded 400. However, Wiggins has already claimed to have done 475 watts for an hour during a time trial not long ago.


It was 412 for the hour according to GCN. In general I agree with you on points 1-3. He's also not the first person to set such a new bar on a clean slate. The hour record started with penny farthings and people also had results stripped when the UCI banned recumbents (true story bro!).


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

412/370 => 1.9 km further...or thereabouts. 

Some interesting info and comparisons here: Hour record - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## TricrossRich (Mar 26, 2014)

looigi said:


> Based on those relative powers (475/370W), Wiggo should go 4.4km further in the hour...roughly...other things being equal.
> 
> And Taylor Phinney looks like he want to get a shot at it before the big guns make it unreachable:
> 
> ...


I would love to see Taylor go for it as a start to his comeback... I was really impressed with him in his stage win at TOC.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

looigi said:


> 1.9 km further


Holy Jeeebus that's huge. 

And the way Wiggo's riding now, the fact he's already been on the track a ton. He's a lock, I mean why not just go for it next week?


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## deviousalex (Aug 18, 2010)

Creakyknees said:


> And the way Wiggo's riding now, the fact he's already been on the track a ton. He's a lock, I mean why not just go for it next week?


I think he just wants to keep his mind off the fact that he won't be riding the tour.


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