On Sunday, the greatest British cyclist alive, Sir Bradley Wiggins, will attempt to set a new hour record, one of the most prestigious, and most difficult, achievements in all of cycling.
The 2012 Tour de France winner and Olympic champion will try to ride well past the existing record of 52.937 kilometers, or about 32.894 miles, at the Lee Valley VeloPark in London.
Many think that Wiggo, as he's called, will have no problem breaking the current record held by compatriot Alex Dowsett, who rode 52.937 kilometers earlier this year. Some say he's looking to go 55 kilometers, or about 34 miles.
The special bike he's going to ride is the Pinarello Bolide HR, co-engineered by Jaguar and Italian bicycle manufacturer Pinarello. Wiggins is calling it "the most aerodynamic track bike I've ever ridden."
Here are the photos released by Jaguar (you can read the full press release below):
The hashtag #MyHour on the top tube of his bike will help motivate Wiggins on Sunday.
Here's a good overview video of the hour record, and what Wiggins will be trying to do on Sunday (via The Guardian):
The full press release from Jaguar:
Pinarello & Jaguar Co-Engineer UCI Hour Record Bolide HR Bike for Sir Bradley Wiggins
- Sir Bradley Wiggins to ride the Pinarello Bolide HR at the Lee Valley VeloPark on Sunday 7June for UCI Hour Record
- Jaguar lends its world class expertise in aerodynamics for modification of Wiggins' World Time Trial Pinarello Bolide frame
- The same CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) design methods used to develop the Jaguar XE, the most aerodynamic car Jaguar have ever produced, applied to the Bolide HR
- The Bolide HR has an overall aerodynamic performance increase of 7.5% largely down to a new one-piece titanium handlebar, narrow fork and chainstay design
- Sir Bradley Wiggins hails the Jaguar Pinarello Bolide HR as "the most aerodynamic track bike I've ever ridden"
British sporting icon Sir Bradley Wiggins will attempt to break the UCI Hour Record on a new Pinarello Bolide HR bike, which has been co-engineered by Jaguar and Italian bicycle manufacturers, Pinarello.
The UCI-sanctioned Bolide HR track bicycle, which has been optimised for Sunday's Hour Record based on Wiggins' World Time Trial-winning Pinarello road model, possesses a revolutionary one-piece titanium handlebar and frameset to ensure the perfect aerodynamic performance.
Sir Bradley Wiggins said: "The UCI Hour Record is the toughest challenge of human performance in cycling, where every fraction of a second matters.
"I've worked with Jaguar's performance engineers since 2010, and their world class knowledge and experience in aerodynamics, combined with Pinarello's expert frame building, gives me confidence that I can set a new standard on Sunday.
"The Bolide HR is the most aerodynamically efficient track bike I've ever ridden."
Using the same methods and taking key insights from the technology-leading work on Jaguar Land Rover road cars, Jaguar's engineers have applied their advanced aerodynamics knowledge to help create an overall aerodynamic performance increase of 7.5%.
The same CFD [Computational Fluid Dynamics] design methods used to develop the Jaguar XE, the most aerodynamic car Jaguar have ever produced, were part of a comprehensive study of the world class Bolide frame where every component was analysed to inform modifications.
The Pinarello Bolide HR contains a completely re-designed one-piece handlebar system to optimise Wiggins' interaction with the bike. Laser Sintering Technology has been applied to create a deeply re-shaped titanium handlebar, including the removal of the brakes, gear levers and an innovative arm rest area to reduce air pressure and drag.
Jaguar and Pinarello have narrowed the fork design, making it closer to the front disc wheel, to enhance airflow in the bottom bracket area. Other key component changes from the Bolide road bike include the enhancement of the front fork surface, and re-shaping of the chainring and wheel hubs to optimise the bike's aerodynamic capability.
"Jaguar has a talented team of engineers with a great depth of aerodynamic knowledge, so we're very proud to be able to work on this collaboration with Pinarello," said John Pitman, Principal CFD Aerodynamicist at Jaguar Land Rover.
Pitman added: "Applying this level of engineering capability and analysis to the development of bikes is still very new in cycling, and showcases the industry-leading expertise and facilities we have at Jaguar Land Rover."
Pinarello has a long-standing affiliation with the Hour Record, most notably in 1994 when the Italian bike manufacturer developed the Pinarello Espada for Miguel Indurain during his successful record attempt.
"I'm extremely honoured to be involved in creating this special Bolide HR for Bradley's Hour Record challenge, twenty years after the last model we designed for Miguel Indurain," said Fausto Pinarello, CEO of Pinarello.
"Our relationship with Bradley, as well as Jaguar during our years as fellow partners of Team Sky continues to ensure Pinarello are creating world class, high performance bikes."
Mark Cameron, Global Brand Experience Director for Jaguar Land Rover, said: "Sir Bradley Wiggins is a British sporting legend, who has been integral to Jaguar's global cycling sponsorship. Being able to co-engineer Wiggins' Bolide HR bike and continue our excellent partnership with Pinarello helps Jaguar illustrate its world class engineering credentials to a global audience."
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