Vittoria Bussi has once again etched her name into cycling history, surpassing her own UCI Hour Record with a distance of 50.455 kilometres at the Velodromo Bicentenario in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The Italian mathematician-turned-cyclist achieved the new mark on 10th May 2025, just one day after abandoning an earlier attempt midway through.
Conditions in Aguascalientes – renowned for its altitude and fast track – were ideal for a record attempt, but Bussi’s journey to the line was anything but straightforward. After a promising opening pace on 9th May, she was forced to step off the track midway due to physical discomfort and pacing issues. Undeterred, she returned 24 hours later for a second attempt, determined to go beyond her own 50.267km mark set in 2023.
Bussi rode with visible restraint in the early phases, gradually building into the effort with smooth, controlled laps that hovered just below the required pace. By the halfway point, she was marginally ahead of schedule and looked increasingly comfortable on the bike. Over the final 15 minutes, she accelerated steadily, holding aero position and focus in a clinical display of metronomic pacing and mental resilience.
When the hour elapsed, Bussi had covered 50.455 kilometres – improving her previous record by 188 metres and becoming the only woman in history to twice surpass the 50km barrier.
“This record means more than just performance”
The 38-year-old’s victory was made even more poignant by the personal and financial sacrifices required to make it possible. Racing as an independent athlete with BJ Bike Club ASD, Bussi crowdfunded the attempt and relied on a small, close-knit support team.
Speaking after the record, she reflected on its deeper meaning: “This record has always been really special to me as an athlete and as a person. I hope I have transmitted to young generations that sport is not just an athletic performance, but that athletes bring messages to the world. The Hour taught me the preciousness of time in every single instant of life.”
On Instagram, she added: “It helped me through the darkest period of my life, so I am deeply grateful to everyone who supported me, not just as an athlete, but as a person.”
There was also a personal, playful moment in the award ceremony as Bussi dedicated the record to her two cats, Gauss and Chanel. In a light-hearted and emotional gesture, she held up large photos of each cat on the podium, drawing smiles from the velodrome crowd and underscoring how deeply personal the record had become for her.
A second record still to come?
Bussi isn’t done yet in Aguascalientes. She remains at the velodrome to target the women’s 4km individual pursuit world record, currently held by Anna Morris with a time of 4:24.060, set at the British National Track Championships in February. Since the UCI extended the women’s individual pursuit from 3km to 4km at the start of 2025, the benchmark has been rapidly evolving – and Bussi now looks poised to take on that challenge too.
