Ashton Lambie is going for the record. Specifically, he is going to attempt to ride 4 kilometers in under 4 minutes. Ashton has been training hard and consulting with the best engineers and coaches around the globe for the best ride possible. The event will take place at the velodrome in Aguascalientes, Mexico, at 3:30 pm EST on August 18th.
Ineos Grenadiers’ Filippo Ganna currently holds the record with a time of 4:01.934. Ganna and Lambie have competed many times before, and one meeting produced Lambie’s individual pursuit world record.
Ashton Lambie had a different call to the boards than most, coming from the grass velodrome in Kanas. He frequently competed in long-distance gravel and endurance events before joining the USA Cycling national track program in 2017.
Ashton quickly climbed the ranks in USA Cycling’s track standings, upgrading steadily — eventually landing him a Cat. 2 license, with eligibility to race the US Track National Championships. He later went on to win the Individual Pursuit national championships at Trexlertown, Pa, and secured a spot on the US World’s team.
Record Breaker
Lambie isn’t new to record-breaking and the pressures of big rides. The 31-year-old Nebraskan held the individual pursuit world record and is the current Trans-Kansas record holder. Lambie’s individual pursuit world record occurred on the same track in Aguascalientes, Mexico, the same track he will be attempting the sub 4min kilo.
The attempt is roughly inspired by Roger Bannister’s barrier-breaking four-minute mile in 1954. If you’ve been following Lambie on Instagram, you know he’s driven for this attempt, and Tokyo has only strengthened his intentions.
Stating on Instagram earlier, “We have been steadily lowering the 4 km pursuit World Record over the last few years, making the sub-4 minute barrier less of a dream and, I believe, more of an inevitability,”
The Aguascalientes Velodrome
The track at the Aguascalientes Velodrome is sought out for record attempts as the track sits at 6,200 feet elevation, and the boards are known for their speed.
Those questioning the validity of the track in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and high altitude only need to check the UCI regulations. The track is a standard regulation and frequently used for competition and the Pan American Games.
The Ride
Lambie will ride his Argon 18 Electron Pro TKO Pursuit track machine for the record attempt, equipped with a massive 64X15 gearing, Zipp Super-9 wheels, and Vittoria tires.
The Super-9 was designed for the Cycling Australia track program in collaboration with Argon 18 and Cycling Australia. The Argon 18 Electron Pro TKO Pursuit is Ashton’s go-to for the kilo and has served him well.
These particular Zipp Super-9 discs are designed to work with the squad’s Argon 18 track bikes only.
Watch the Record Attempt Live!
Want to see the record made? You can watch all the action live, today at 2:30 CT on Zipps Instagram page.
Update: He did it! A new World Record: 3:59.930
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