Ganna, who recently won the prologue of the 2022 Deutschland Tour in Weimar - 2.6 kilometers in 02.56,89 minutes, has decided to make an attempt at breaking the UCI world hour record in the Tissot velodrome in Grenchen, Switzerland. The record attempt will take place on October 8 at 8 PM CET.

The current hour world record is held by Ganna’s colleague Dan Bigham who is also the team’s performance engineer. Bigham rode 55.548 kilometers in August and extended the record distance set in 2019 by Belgium’s Victor Campenaerts by almost half a kilometer, success which is testament to the detailed data-led analysis carried out in the build-up. In October 2021 Bigham took the title of British Hour Record holder from Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins.

Commenting on the planned record attempt, Ganna explained “I have been training on a new Pinarello bike. It is super-fast and I love it. It’s another step on from the already high level we have with our equipment. The team puts so much energy and effort into these projects, and our partners, from Pinarello and the new prototype bike, to a fully customized skinsuit made by Bioracer - they’ve done their part so now it’s my turn. I’m going to feel really good stepping into that velodrome in Grenchen. Mentally that’ll already give me some extra meters.”

The multiple world hour record attempts offer the Ineos-Grenadiers team valuable opportunities to test and fine-tune its cycling equipment and experiment with new product innovations in conjunction with its team suppliers and partners who are constantly seeking to develop the best roadcycling equipment for the professional cycling team and recreational cyclists around the world.

“To have a talent like Filippo in the team is a huge bonus to us from an equipment development point of view,” deputy team principal Rod Ellingworth explained. “From working with him in wind tunnels, to seeing him ride on the track, it’s in part due to him that our equipment is at the level it currently is. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together over the coming years.”

Companies such as Pinarello, Bioracer, Kask, Muc-Off, Continental, Fizik, Core and Princeton are supplying equipment, knowledge and technology for the world hour attempt in Switzerland.

In August Ganna extended his contact with Team Ineos-Grenadiers for four additional years. His penned stay with the team now stretches through 2027. Ganna has won the individual time trial world championships two times and is defending world champion. 

Ganna becoming world hour record holder would be sweet icing on the cake for his Ineos-Grenadiers outfit, topping off a very successful 2022 season in which the British team has won no less than 38 races so far, including Paris-Roubaix (Dylan van Baarle), Amstel Gold Race (Michal Kwiatkowski) and Tour de Suisse with Geraint Thomas.