By Canadian Press

Ironman triathlete Lionel Sanders sets Canadian hour cycling record

Oct 23, 2020 | 1:51 PM

MILTON, Ont. — Lionel Sanders struck a blow for triathletes in the cycling ranks by breaking the Canadian hour record.

The Ironman triathlete from Windsor, Ont., rode 51.304 kilometres in 60 minutes Friday at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre velodrome in Milton, Ont. 

Track cyclist Ed Veal held the previous record of 48.587 km set in the same velodrome in 2017.

The world record is 55.089 km held by Belgian pro cyclist Victor Campenaerts since 2019.

Sanders, 32, averaged 17.194 seconds per lap over 205 on a solo ride in a nearly empty building. The event was streamed live on YouTube.

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

“That was a very, very painful experience,” Sanders said in a YouTube post-race interview.

“I thought I would have some more at the end. I thought ‘ oh, maybe I’ll be able to push the final 10 minutes’ and there was absolutely nothing left.”

Sanders is an ultra-endurance athlete, competing in Ironman triathlons that include a 3.8-kilometre swim, 180k bike and a marathon run. 

He claimed the men’s ITU world long-distance triathlon championship and also placed second in the world Ironman championship in Kona, Hawaiii, in 2017.

The cycling record was a test of his top-end bike speed over a relatively short distance for him.

“It was a great experience and if you take anything from it, I hope you go out and challenge yourself and do something fun that gets you out of your comfort zone,” Sanders said. 

After the world governing body of cycling (UCI) standardized rules and regulations around pursuit of the hour record in 2014, Jens Voigt of Germany set a world record of 51.11 km that year.

Veal, who finished fourth in team pursuit with Canada’s track cycling team in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, provided live streaming analysis Friday.

“It was an honour to hold the record,” Veal said. “I’m glad it’s in his hands.

“He did go pretty fast. That’s out of my reach here in Milton, I’ve got to be honest. I’ve done my own math calculations. I’m not doing 51 three in Milton. So that’s that’s how impressive that mark is.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2020.

The Canadian Press