Intro:

Englishman Alex Dowsett set a new UCI Hour Record in Manchester on Saturday (2nd May) riding 52.937 kilometres.

Script:

Alex Dowsett Movistar cyclist was riding at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, England - the same venue Hour Record specialist Chris Boardman achieved success in the event back in 2000.

Dowsett took a cautious pace through the opening thirty minutes before beginning to close the nine seconds gap on the previous record which was set by Australian Rohan Dennis.

With ten minutes to go Dowsett stepped up his efforts even further to eventually beat the previous distance by 446 metres.

"As soon as the clock hit ten minutes to go I knew that I could press on a bit," said Dowsett who was riding to inspire hemophilia suffers like himself.

"It was like a dream ride there, it really was."

After laying dormant for a number of years, the Hour Record returned to professional cycling last year when German Jens Voigt successfully set a new benchmark distance.

Former Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins is scheduled to take a shot at the event in June. Dowsett and Movistar team manager Eusebio Unzue said they would decide whether to make a second effort following Wiggins' effort.