Alex Dowsett announces Hour Record attempt for February 27

Alex Dowsett today confirmed he will attempt to break the Hour Record on February 27 at London’s Lee Valley VeloPark.

Cycling Weekly reported earlier in December that Dowsett would join Dame Sarah Storey in making an Hour attempt at the Revolution Series in February.

Dowsett’s Movistar team has reportedly booked out the London 2012 velodrome for at least 12 one-hour sessions at a cost of £500 a time.

The British rider also revealed he has been at the drag2zero wind tunnel at Silverstone twice in the last two weeks, and will be in there again on January 19. He'll then return to Lee Valley VeloPark for further track testing.

At the announcement in central London, Dowsett said the Hour Record was something he had coveted since childhood - a time when it was feared his haemophilia would restrict him from leading a normal life.

"I'm not really doing this for me I'm doing this for any haemophiliac who gets told in their childhood they can't do something," he said. "My haemophilia is the reason I'm here as. Cyclists. I set out to find something I could do.

"Haemophiliacs are constantly told what they can't do, so it's about finding something you can do. If I can just one person is inspired by my record attempt then it'll be worth it."

Dowsett's attempt coincides with the second Revolution Series meeting at the London velodrome, an although the event will still be organised by FACE and have support races beforehand, Movistar will have control of the branding rights.

The 26-year-old, who took gold in the Commonwealth Games time trial this summer, will be the third rider in a succession of record attempts, with Australians Jack Bobridge and Rohan Dennis recently announcing their intention to take on the Hour.

"It's no surprise they're going for it, it's right up their street so it'll make life difficult," Dowsett continued. "I'll just go out there to see how far I can go and just hope no-one asks me what time I did.

"My track experience will be a massive help for me. I've done more laps of the Manchester velodrome [while with the British Cycling Academy] than I've had hot dinners, so that can only help. Rohan and Jack will have the same help given the system they've come up from."

The record to beat, as it stands, is Matthias Brandle’s effort of 51.852km set in October, although track specialist Bobridge is confident of bettering the mark in his January 31 attempt in Melbourne.

Dennis will then follow his fellow Australian with an attempt in Grenchen, Switzerland, on February 8.

http://timeInc.brightcove.com.edgesuite.net/rtmp_uds/26996914001/201501/313/26996914001_3988880944001_Dowsett-30sec.mp4