Riding inside the newly covered Olympic Training Center velodrome in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Stevens today set the women’s UCI Hour Record, covering 47.980km (27.8 miles) in 60 minutes, breaking the previous mark of 46.882km, set by Bridie O’Donnell of Australia on January 22.
“It couldn’t have been a more perfect day,” Stevens said after.
The 32-year-old American, who rides professionally for the Boels Dolmans Cycling team, set the new mark aboard a fixed-gear time-trial bike made by California-based Specialized. She covered more than 143 laps around the 333-meter banked track.
Stevens, who credits her stamina to her time spent working endless hours as an analyst at Lehman Brothers in New York, is the second American woman to break the hour record since September 15, when Molly Shaffer Van Hoeweling surpassed the mark of 46.065km set by Leontien van Moorsel in Mexico City in 2003. van Moorsel had set the previous record riding without the advantage of aerodynamic equipment, which is now permitted. Van Houweling covered 46.273km in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Stevens started smooth and fast. As the laps wore on, she began to wobble as the 60-minute mark drew closer. She veered onto the lower part of the track several times, dipping her head and gritting her teeth as she pushed the pedals and fought off the pain in her legs and lungs.
“I worked a lot on the mental prep for this,” she said. “It’s not common that you get a chance to set a world record. In the beginning, I really wanted to just stay calm. At the end, I think anybody who saw me, I was going in like, S-shape turns. But more than anything, it was an opportunity to be great.”
Cyclist Evelyn Stevens, shown competing in the women’s time trial at the 2014 UCI Road World Championships, set the new women’s UCI Hour Record on Feb. 27, 2016 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo: JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images)
As she rode, Stevens’s ride began trending on Twitter as cycling enthusiasts watched the live stream of the event on the Internet.
“I can’t believe all of the support,” Stevens said. “Knowing that made me go a little harder.”
A member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, Stevens said she plans to spend a couple of days in Boulder, Colorado, before joining her pro team in Europe for the upcoming season. She will also look to earn a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team for the Rio Games.
“I just want to celebrate with everybody that came and cheered me on,” she said.
England’s Bradley Wiggins holds the men’s hour record at 54.526 kilometers
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