Three track cyclists will be aiming to break world records for Great Britain on 14th August at the Konya velodrome in Türkiye. Matt Richardson, who switched allegiances from Australia to the Great Britain Cycling Team in August last year, is aiming to be the first man to go under the elusive nine-second barrier in the men’s 200m flying start.
He has to beat the current world record of 9.088sec set by the Netherlands’ Harrie Lavreysen at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Richardson looked to break this record with a 9.041sec during qualifying at the Nations Cup in Konya this March, but that was later voided after he exited the track during the effort.
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Meanwhile Charlie Tanfield is aiming to break the Hour record set by Filippo Ganna in Switzerland in October 2022. He’ll have to beat 56.792km.
The oldest record looking to be broken is the men’s C5 Hour Record. This is currently 47.569km and has been held by Italy’s Andrea Tarlo since 2014. 46-year-old Will Bjergfelt is the man aiming for glory, and he is no stranger to making history, being the first para-cyclist to ever take to the start line at the Tour of Britain in 2021 in addition to winning World Cup medals and the 2023 C5 road race world title in Glasgow.
‘I think it’s a race between Harrie [Lavreysen] and I to be the first person to go below nine seconds,’ Richardson says. ‘It’s been on my radar for the last couple of years. What’s motivated me in general is to become the fastest track cyclist of all time. Records get beaten constantly but barriers stay with that person.’
The velodrome in Türkiye is the country’s first and is a relatively new track, having only opened in 2022, but will host the European Championships in 2026. It sits just over 1,000m above sea level.
‘The Nations Cup happened in Türkiye and we realised how quick that track was,’ says Richardson. ‘What makes [Konya] so appealing for the flying 200m is that it’s a very similar shape to the Paris velodrome, which is deemed one of the fastest sea level tracks because of how wide and steep it is.’
‘It’s at 1,200m of altitude so for a flying effort it’s pretty optimal. The bit where it gets tricky is the transition where the corner turns into the straight. At the fence it’s really steep and I’ll be travelling over 70kmph there. When the track just disappears away from you, it gets quite tricky to handle. Last time I was there, it threw me off quite a bit. We had to almost chop the corner. I know it’s coming but it’s something I’ll have to work through on the day as the faster I go, the more it’ll inhibit my speed. Once I get past that bit it’ll be smooth sailing from there.’
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Bjergfelt meanwhile has never ridden on the Konya track before: ‘It’ll be a new experience. The air density is really important. With it being that little bit lower with the altitude and also the external temperature, that should help me push the record out there even further. I’m excited.’
He started his career as an elite mountain bike rider before being hit head-on by a car driver in 2015, sustaining life-threatening injuries. The damage to his right leg classified him for the C5 category. He hopes this record attempt serves as an inspiration.
‘I feel like I’ve done some incredible things since becoming a para-cyclist,’ he says. ‘I want to put out there that even if you do have an impairment or a slight disability that there’s so many amazing things you can do that it shouldn’t hold anyone back. If you want to do it, crack on and do it. I want to inspire people.’
The attempts will take place on Thursday 14th August 2025. Bjergfelt will go first at 08:00 UK time, followed by Tanfield at 10:15 and Richardson at 14:30. If needed, second attempts will be held on Friday. Live progress will be updated on the Great Britain Cycling Team’s social media channels, @GBCyclingTeam, with Richardson’s attempt scheduled to be live streamed on Instagram.
