Alex Dowsett will attempt to break hour world record in February

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Alex DowsettImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Alex Dowsett won gold in the time trial at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

Britain's Alex Dowsett will attempt to break the hour world record at London's Olympic Velodrome on 27 February.

Commonwealth Games time-trial champion Dowsett, 26, hopes to go further than the current mark of 51.852km, set by Austria's Matthias Brandle in October.

Australians Jack Bobridge and Rohan Dennis may extend the mark given they attempt the record earlier in 2015.

Sir Bradley Wiggins is also expected to reveal details of his own attempt at the record in the near future.

Media caption,

Matthias Brandle breaks one-hour track cycling record

The hour record is the blue riband event for track cycling, and is a record that has recently enjoyed a renaissance after world governing body Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) changed its rules about the use of aerodynamic equipment., external

Germany's Jens Voigt broke Ondrej Sosenka's nine-year-old record in September, only for Brandle to surpass him the following month.

Movistar rider Dowsett, a haemophilia sufferer, wants to raise awareness about the condition with his bid to beat the distance next year.

"The hour is something I've always been interested in; the simplicity of it, mostly: no tactics, no hiding, just you and the bike," said Dowsett.

"Now I've got a new sense of drive as I know that the more success I can achieve, the more hope it will give everyone in the whole rare disease community."

Dowsett's attempt will take place at the Revolution Series track cycling event, with Dame Sarah Storey making her attempt at the women's record a day later.

Bobridge will make his bid to break the record in Melbourne on 31 January, with Dennis's challenge coming a week later on 8 February in Switzerland.

UCI hour world record landmarks*

Year

Rider

Distance

1876 (first record)

Frank Dodds

26.508km

1893

Henri Desgrange

35.325km

1898

Willie Hamilton

40.781km

1935

Giuseppe Olmo

45.090km

1972

Eddy Merckx

49.431km

2000

Chris Boardman

49.441km

2005

Ondrej Sosenka

49.700km

2014 (Sep)

Jens Voigt

51.115km

2014 (Oct)

Matthias Brandle

51.850km

*Does not include those cancelled from record books by UCI

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