TRACK CYCLING

New Zealander to attempt World Masters Hour Record

By Nick Warren

New Zealander Steve Bale will attempt to break the cycling World Masters Hour Record on August 22, 2015 at the Avantidrome in Cambridge, NZ.

Bale, 38, from Wellington, is aiming to beat the current distance for masters 1 (35-39 year-olds) of 48.317km set by Australian Jayson Austin in 2009.

Known more for his off road prowess, Bale is the reigning masters 1 National Mountain Bike Champion and won a bronze in the 2015 Oceania Championships.

A self-confessed data geek, he was attracted to the purity of cycling’s blue ribbon record, and broke the Wellington Hour Record in March 2015 on the NZ capital’s outdoor concrete velodrome.

“The Avantidrome has very few external factors that can affect how far you go,” Bale says. “It means the ride will be all about aerodynamics and how much power I can produce on the day.”

"I've been putting out promising numbers in training and I'm confident of giving this record a really good crack."



Bale has made the 16 hour return trip from Wellington to Cambridge six times for testing and training on the country’s newest indoor wooden velodrome, refining his position and equipment.

His attempt will establish a New Zealand masters 1 Hour Record but he is also hoping to break the overall New Zealand mark which stands at 50.226km but was set using the now illegal ‘superman’ position.



The Hour Record is one of cycling’s most iconic events. First established in the 19th Century, riders have 60 minutes to notch up as many laps as possible on a velodrome. It’s notoriously hard to get the pacing right, and after his own effort in Mexico in 1972, five-time Tour de France winner Eddy Merckx said it was the “hardest ride I have ever done”. The current world Hour Record holder is Bradley Wiggins who rode 54.526km in June 2015.

Steve Bale biography and blog: https://stevebalescyclingblog.wordpress.com/about/
Twitter updates on the day: @bale_par