Gustav Larsson on failed Hour attempt: My legs weren’t up to it (video)
Gustav Larsson falls well short of a new world Hour Record, but sets new Swedish record at Revolution track meeting in Manchester
Warning: video contains one incidence of bad language
Swedish rider Gustav Larsson failed to set a new world Hour Record at the Revolution Series track meeting in Manchester on Saturday afternoon, saying immediately afterwards that he would ‘never try it again’.
Larsson rode 50.016 kilometres, well over two kilometres short of the current mark of 52.491km set by Australian Rohan Dennis.
After Larsson had caught his breath and had a chance to reflect on his efforts, for which he set a new Swedish record, he changed his mind on whether he’d try it again: “Straight after the event I told myself I would never try the Hour Record again, but now, I think with the right training and experience on the track I could try again.”
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Amazingly, this was only 2008 Olympic time trial silver medallist Larsson’s second time riding in a velodrome. The Cult Energy team rider’s inexperience on the boards was soon found out, though, as he was short of his target time after only four laps. Despite a concerted effort, the 34 year old could not get back on top of his intended mark.
“Halfway through was the hardest, knowing the same was to come,” said Larsson. “Setting the Swedish record is good, but it wasn’t my aim.”
The next attempt on the men’s Hour Record is scheduled to be Alex Dowsett, who is aiming to take on the record in late April after postponing his original attempt in February due to a fractured collarbone.