Calculation of the metabolic demands of a successful cycling world-hour record by a validated mathematical model

Abstract

The cycling world hour record (WHR) is one of the most mythical and prestigious cycling performances. For one hour, cyclists aim to cover the longest distance possible on a cycling velodrome. Many of the most successful and legendary cyclists, such as Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Francesco Moser, Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain or Bradley Wiggins have focused on improving the WHR during their careers. Despite the increasing scientific information on professional cycling performance (1–4), scientific data on the WHR is rather limited.