Speed is generally the name of the game in cycling, and who hasn’t enjoyed jumping on a bike to free-wheel down a steep hill, feeling that adrenalin rush? Top cyclists perform incredible feats on a much grander scale, producing almost unfathomably brilliant achievements in terms of speed and control. Cyclists are always challenging themselves to go faster and further.
Throughout the history of cycling, there have been record-breakers who have taken the sport to an entirely different level through both speed and endurance. And if in some other sphere of life, we can speak of luck being the leading force like in the best free betting games provided by betting sites that can lead to rewards, here it’s hard work. These record-breakers continue to strive for an extra edge. It’s the small margins, those tiny differences, that make up the big achievements.
There are records, whether primarily based on endurance or speed, which have stood the test of time in cycling. Some fall into the category of potentially never being broken, and here we showcase some of the sports’ greatest records.
1 Hour Record
The challenge of the 1-hour cycling record happens in a velodrome and interestingly, the 1-hour cycling record is not attempted very often. The UCI challenge is quite simple – how far can a rider go in 1 hour? In 2019, Victor Campenaerts set a new men’s record for the first in a long series of attempts by riders at a distance of (34.23 miles).
His record was beaten by Daniel Bigham in 2022, but the British rider wasn’t part of the UCI anti-doping programme, so wasn’t eligible for the UCI world record. The official record did go in October 2022 with Italian rider Filippo Ganna posting a staggering 56.792 distance.
That was the first time anyone had been above 56 km in the challenge, taking it to a whole new level and it hasn’t been taken on since with such a new high benchmark set.
The Untouchable Merckx
Always in the conversation about the greatest-ever cyclists, Belgium’s Eddy Merckx claimed 279 professional victories during his career. That number only includes individual rides and not team time trials.
Nicknamed ‘The Cannibal’ he would eat up the opposition and Merckx was also the first rider to claim the UCI’s Triple Crown (Road World Championship Road Race, Tour de France and Giro d’Italia). The insatiable Merckx won the Tour de France five times during his illustrious career.
Tour De France General Classification
Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain jointly hold the record for most Tour de France wins with five each. Each was great during their respective period of dominance, but none could get that challenging sixth win on the board.
So this record will likely stand for some time, but if the record does fall, then maybe Tadej Pogacar, due to his phenomenal 2024 campaign, could be the one to do it. The 26-year-old Slovenian has won it three times and has plenty more time on his side.
Most Consecutive Tour de France Wins
As a side note, the remarkable Miguel Indurain won his five Tour de France titles in consecutive years. That’s something other greats like Merckx and Hinault couldn’t accomplish and with this record having stood since 1995, it shows how astonishing of a feat it was by the Spaniard.
Mark Cavendish’s Tour de France Stage Wins
At the 2024 Tour de France, British cyclist Mark Cavendish won his 35th stage win, when he burst to the line on Stage 5. He claimed the historical record by passing Merckx to stand atop of the charts.
Even more remarkably, Cavendish achieved the success just a year after what could have been a career-ending crash in the famous race. Back in 2019 and 2020 Cavendish had also failed to record a single win anywhere and wasn’t even selected for the 2022 Tour.
But in a remarkable comeback, he has become immortalised in Tour history and this is likely a record that won’t go for a very long time, if ever.
Grand Tour Stage Wins
Returning to Eddy Merckx, he leads the all-time list for the total most Grand Tour stage wins ever of 64. It’s a phenomenal record that is unlikely to get touched. That tally of stage wins was amassed in eight years, absolutely dominating the scene.
Italian rider Mario Cipollini holds the second-most Grand Tour stage wins ever, with 57 and the aforementioned Mark Cavendish claimed his 50th Grand Tour stage win during 2023, still a long way off Eddy Merckx’s record.
Records Are Attractive
It’s tough to say that records will never be beaten. They are there to be challenged and for many riders, they simply act as motivation. The sport continues to evolve with better fitness and better technology and all records are under threat to some degree because of that.
