Alex Dowsett’s Strava offers insight into his Hour Record training 

Despite a stressful and chaotic year the work is not done for Britain’s Alex Dowsett, as he prepares for an assault on the prestigious Hour Record.

Time trial specialist Dowsett, who races for Israel Start-Up Nation on the road, plans to reclaim the title having held it for just over a month in 2015.

The current Hour Record holder is Belgium’s Victor Campenaerts, who rode 55.089km in 60 minutes at the Aguascalientes Velodrome, Mexico, in April 2019. 

While other pros are enjoying their off-season and preparing for 2021, Dowsett is training hard late into the year, and his Strava stats offer up some insight. 

After finishing the Giro d’Italia in late October, Dowsett took an easier week with 132.7km, before ramping up the distances again from November 2.

That week, the 32-year-old rode 618km on the roads around his home area Essex, with his long ride being a 165km tour starting from Chelmsford, past South Woodham Ferrers, then out to Bradwell Waterside. 

But it’s not all about the distance, as Dowsett’s power numbers on that ride were pretty huge, pushing a 20-minute maximum of 410 watts.

Then last week Dowsett rode another 640km, including a 176km run on November 12. 

The training is only likely to increase in intensity, with less than a month remaining until Dowsett’s attempt on December 12.

He will be trying to set the new record at the Manchester Velodrome, which could be a tall ask as Campenaerts had the benefit of riding at 1,800 metres above sea level in Mexico (Manchester is 38m). 

Camenpaerts says Dowsett has a 50 per cent chance of breaking his record and added that he would try to retake the title if Dowsett is successful.

>>> Tadej Pogačar: My life is the same as before after winning Tour de France 

The former Belgian national time trial champion says Dowsett (Israel Start-Up Nation) choosing Manchester maybe prove to be the wrong decision because of the air pressure.