‘I’ve put so much work into it’: Italy’s Filippo Ganna sets new hour record

Italy’s Filippo Ganna claimed the Hour record by covering 56.792km at the Tissot velodrome in Grenchen, Switzerland on Saturday. The two-times time trial world champion bettered the mark set in August by his Team Ineos teammate Daniel Bigham by 1.244km.

He also beat the 56.375km mark set by Chris Boardman in 1996 using the controversial ‘Superman’ position. That performance had long been seen as unbeatable as the Englishman was using ‘Superman-style’ handlebars. The International Cycling Union (UCI) then tightened the rules.

“I’ve put so much work into it,” Ganna told a trackside interviewer.

Earlier, Tadej Pogacar retained his Il Lombardia title when his attacking intentions were rewarded on the finish line after a 253km ride from Bergamo to Como in northern Italy.

The 2022 Tour de France runner-up shook things up in the penultimate ascent before beating Spain’s Enric Mas in a two-man sprint while another Spaniard, Mikel Landa, was third, 10 seconds behind.

It was Pogacar’s third victory in the Monuments, after he prevailed last year in Como, and also in Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

“It’s really amazing to repeat victory here. It was great team work,” the 2020 and 2021 Tour de France winner said as he paid tribute to his UAE Emirates teammates. “This season has been almost perfect.”

The Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard suffered in the finale and claimed a disappointing 16th place.

Pogacar accelerated with 20km left, and Landa and Mas were the only ones to follow in the ascent of the Civiglio. Two kilometres further on, the Slovenian attacked again and Landa was dropped, but the Spaniard made it back in the descent, only to crack on the last climb to San Fermo della Battaglia, when Mas upped the pace. Pogacar followed easily and