Saturday 23 May 2015 13:59, UK
Six-time Olympic gold medal winner Sir Chris Hoy has backed Sir Bradley Wiggins to break the world hour record on June 7, live on Sky Sports.
The UCI hour record, which measures the furthest distance a rider can cycle within an hour, is one of sport's most demanding challenges.
Tour de France winner and four-time Olympic champion Wiggins will bid to break the 52.4km (32.5 miles) record set by Australian Rohan Dennis in Switzerland on February 8 this year.
He certainly is the greatest cyclist we’ve ever produced and it’s his ability to adapt to a number of disciplines.
“When he sets his mind to a goal, he tends to achieve it, and it will be a great way for him to make his transition from the road back to the track,” Hoy said.
“It is that halfway house between the road and the track. And once he’s hopefully done the hour record and set it, he’ll be heading towards Rio next year and hopefully winning a gold medal in the team pursuit.
“I think he’s got a great chance of breaking the hour record and you’d be a brave man to bet against him. He certainly is the greatest cyclist we’ve ever produced and it’s his ability to adapt to a number of disciplines.
“To win the Tour de France and potentially win a gold medal in the team pursuit again is phenomenal."
A week before Dennis' attempt, Australian Jack Bobridge had to be carried from his bike after missing the record by a few metres at the DISC Velodrome in Melbnourne.
Later he described the exertion from his attempt as “the nearest I will come to death without dying”.
Tickets to watch Wiggins attempt to break the hour record at Lee Valley will go on sale through Sky Tickets from Friday April 17 and will be available through http://tickets.sky.com/cycling from 10am.
