The British rider on Wednesday’s record attempt and why he is using it to publicise how haemophilia should not be a barrier
“That’s the closest to death I’ll ever be without actually dying,” the Australian cyclist Jack Bobridge said in January 2015 after he had failed to break the hour record. He had ridden 51.3km around a track in 60 minutes but he was still half a kilometre short of the world record. “I can’t even describe how much pain my gluts and quads are in, it’s unbelievable.”
Years before, in October 1972, Eddy Merckx, one of the greatest cyclists to have lived, set a record for the hour in Mexico when he rode 49.43km. He could not speak when, his face etched in suffering, he was helped off his bike. Merckx said later: “Never before had I had such pain. It was the hardest ride I’ve ever done and I never felt such pain again.”
Written by Donald McRae
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/01/cyclist-alex-dowsett-hour-record-attempt-haemophilia under the title “Cyclist Alex Dowsett: ‘If I stick to my lap times I’ll break the hour record’ | Donald McRae”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
