Filippo Ganna has already taken cycling by storm in the last 12 months, taking the Italian national championships, a track world title, and finishing on the podium of the World Championship time trial in Yorkshire, all by the age of 23.
But while under lockdown Ganna has found himself dwelling on a new challenge – taking on Victor Campenaerts’s Hour Record.
Team Ineos rider Ganna has set out his ambitions for the near future, with a run at the Hour Record near the top of his list.
In an interview with Italian cycling website TuttoBici, Ganna said: “I often get asked whether I shouldn't attempt a World Hour Record attempt. And during this quarantine I have already regularly thought about that.
“If there is more clarity about which races we can still ride this year, I will speak to the team. And if there is time, why not try it?”
Belgian time trial specialist Campenaerts took on the historic record in April 2019 at the high altitude velodrome in Aguascalientes, Mexico, breaking the 55km barrier to beat the previous record set by Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2015.
Ganna admits he hasn’t attempted the effort, but he is aware of the demands a longer time trial can have on the body, having finished second in the Worlds TT in Yorkshire last year, with a time of 1-07-00 behind Remco Evenepoel and winner Rohan Dennis.
But it has been on the track where Ganna has really made waves, winning a fourth consecutive individual pursuit world title in Berlin earlier this year, setting a new world record of 4-01.934.
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Breaking the almost superhuman four-minute barrier for the 4km individual pursuit is also high on Ganna’s priority list: “Before the end of the year I would also have liked to organise an event with the team to try to beat the four-minute barrier in the pursuit, looking for the ideal conditions.
“Just two years ago I thought that going under 4-10 was impossible, but one day I know that I will be able to go under four minutes.”
