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Vittoria Bussi has again broken the women’s UCI Hour Record, covering a distance of 50.455 kilometres on the Velodromo Bicentenario in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Bussi, both a renowned mathematician and pro rider, covered the cost of her record attempt via a well-sporting crowdfunding campaign.
She first broke the women’s UCI Hour Record in 2018, setting a new record of 48,007km. That was broken by Joscelin Lowden in 2021 and then by Ellen van Dijk in 2023, who covered 49.254 km.
Bussi took the record back in 2023 with a distance of 50.267km, becoming the first woman to break the 50km barrier by covering 50.267 kilometres, but was convinced she could further her mark this year.
She set the new mark of 50.455km on Saturday, after abandoning an attempt just over the halfway mark the previous day.
“For me, this record has meant much more than just a sporting performance: it helped me through the darkest period in my life, so I am deeply and sincerely grateful to all the people who have supported me throughout these years, as an athlete but most importantly as a person,” Bussi said via Instagram.
“I can say with a smile that I contributed to the history of the UCI Hour Record for women,” Bussi said via the UCI after her successful ride.
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“This record has always been really special to me as an athlete and as a person, and I hope I have transmitted to young generations and people that sport is not just an athletic performance, but that athletes bring messages to the world.
“The Hour taught me that one of the most important things in life is to understand the preciousness of time in every single instant of our life.”
The men’s UCI Hour Record is held by Italy’s Filippo Ganna, who covered the distance of 56.792 kilometres on 8 October 2022 in Grenchen, Switzerland.
The 38-year-old Italian is a former middle-distance track runner who took up cycling at the age of 27.
She has podiumed several times in the individual time trial at the Italian National Championships and was part of the Italian team that took the bronze medal in the team time trial mixed relay at the 2020 UEC European Championships. The following year, she won the opening time trial of the Czech stage race Tour de Feminin – O cenu Českého Švýcarska.
Bussi will shortly attempt another world record in the women’s 4km individual.
Great Britain’s Anna Morris holds the current record of 4:24.060, which she set at the Lloyds National Track Championships in Manchester on 22 February 2025.
The record has been lowered several times since the introduction of the new individual pursuit distance for women, increased from 3km to 4km, on 1st January this year.
