My record there to be broken

Sir Bradley Wiggins relaxes after breaking the UCI Hour Record at Lee Valley VeloPark. Picture: Getty

Wiggins recorded a distance of 54.526 kilometres in 60 minutes at the Lee Valley VeloPark on Sunday, surpassing fellow Briton Alex Dowsett’s previous best by 1.589km.

The 35-year-old fell short of the generation-defining performance he had targeted due to unfavourable high atmospheric pressure and, while he hopes to hold the standard for some time, he would welcome challenges from the likes of Dowsett and road time-trial greats Fabian Cancellara, of Switzerland, or German Tony Martin.

“For the record it would be nice now if someone does attack it in the next year or so,”  Wiggins said.

“Even if they fail it will be good for the record, it will give kudos to this record.”

Wiggins, who believes he may have ridden 700m more had the air pressure been lower and therefore more favourable, hopes future bids are made at sea level rather than altitude, where thinner air can aid  attempts.

The 2012 Tour de France winner and four-times Olympic champion preferred the partisan support of the 6,000 spectators, which created such a din it was reminiscent of London 2012.

“I really wanted to do it in London or Manchester at sea level for the crowds to come. I didn’t want to go off to Mexico,” Wiggins said. It would be nice if it becomes a sea level world record now and everybody follows suit with that and not go for the advantage at altitude.

“Aside from the fact I don’t want anyone breaking my record, it would be nice to have everything under the same  conditions.”

The Lee Valley VeloPark – formerly known as the Olympic Velodrome – is situated on the site of the Eastway circuit where Wiggins, who was raised in Kilburn, used to race as a teenager.

“It’s phenomenal to think what this site has become in the last 20 years,” he said.

“It’s incredible, really, almost like a reflection of what cycling is today.

“Twenty years ago when I was racing on this site, the biggest meeting was the March Hare meeting. Now it’s 6,000 sell-out events like this, live on TV.

“It’s quite an incredible thing to be part of it and to see how big cycling is now. It’s a great thing.”

Wiggins’ next target is the 2015/16 track season, which includes the World Track Championships in London next March and concludes with the Rio Olympics, where he is targeting a British record eighth medal and his fifth gold in the four-man, 4km team pursuit.

“This is my end of season now,” Wiggins said.

“I’ll start building up end of July again through to the track programme, Europeans in October and Worlds in March.

“By the time I’ve had a little break in the next few weeks and got back on the bike we’re  just about a year from the  Olympics.

“The training will be quite different for the team pursuit, three minutes 50 [seconds] compared to this. I’m glad I’ve got my name on the list.”

My record there to be broken - Bradley Wiggins