{"id":47117,"date":"2025-08-06T04:41:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T04:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/47117\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T04:41:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T04:41:10","slug":"i-want-to-be-the-fastest-track-cyclist-of-all-time-richardson-tanfield-and-bjergfelt-to-attempt-to-break-200m-and-hour-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/47117\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I want to be the fastest track cyclist of all time’: Richardson, Tanfield and Bjergfelt to attempt to break 200m and Hour records"},"content":{"rendered":"

Three track cyclists will be aiming to break world records for Great Britain on 14th August at the Konya velodrome in T\u00fcrkiye. Matt Richardson, who switched allegiances from Australia to the Great Britain Cycling Team<\/a> in August last year, is aiming to be the first man to go under the elusive nine-second barrier in the men\u2019s 200m flying start.<\/p>\n

He has to beat the current world record of 9.088sec set by the Netherlands\u2019 Harrie Lavreysen at the 2024 Paris Olympics<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n

Related questions you can explore with Ask Cyclist, our AI search engine.If you would like to ask your own question you just need to , or subscribe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Meanwhile Charlie Tanfield is aiming to break the<\/a> Hour record set by Filippo Ganna<\/a> in Switzerland in October 2022. He\u2019ll have to beat 56.792km.<\/p>\n

The oldest record looking to be broken is the men\u2019s C5 Hour Record. This is currently 47.569km and has been held by Italy\u2019s 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\u00a0in Glasgow.<\/p>\n

\u2018I think it\u2019s a race between Harrie [Lavreysen] and I to be the first person to go below nine seconds,\u2019 Richardson says. \u2018It\u2019s been on my radar for the last couple of years. What\u2019s motivated me in general is to become the fastest track cyclist of all time. Records get beaten constantly but barriers stay with that person.\u2019<\/p>\n

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The velodrome in T\u00fcrkiye is the country\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n

\u2018The Nations Cup happened in T\u00fcrkiye and we realised how quick that track was,\u2019 says Richardson. \u2018What makes [Konya] so appealing for the flying 200m is that it\u2019s 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.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s at 1,200m of altitude so for a flying effort it\u2019s pretty optimal. The bit where it gets tricky is the transition where the corner turns into the straight. At the fence it\u2019s really steep and I\u2019ll 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\u2019ll have to work through on the day as the faster I go, the more it\u2019ll inhibit my speed. Once I get past that bit it\u2019ll be smooth sailing from there.’<\/p>\n

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Bjergfelt meanwhile has never ridden on the Konya track before: \u2018It\u2019ll 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\u2019m excited.’<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u2018I feel like I\u2019ve 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\u2019s so many amazing things you can do that it shouldn\u2019t hold anyone back. If you want to do it, crack on and do it. I want to inspire people.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\u2019s social media channels, @GBCyclingTeam, with Richardson\u2019s attempt scheduled to be live streamed on Instagram.<\/p>\n

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