Quietly on Saturday night at the Mattamy National Cycling Centwr near, Toronto, multi-time Canadian Track Cycling Champion Chris Ernst broke Lionel Sanders One Hour Canadian Record on the track riding almost exactly one kilometer further to go 52.3 Km in 60min.
Congratulations to Chris Ernst. With my extensive Live Announcing for Track Cycling both Domestically and Internationally, I have been on the Microphone for many of Chris Ernst’s races for the last number of years!
Ernst is also the holder of the Canadian 4km Individual Pursuit Record on the Track, and the defending Pan American Omnium Champion.
Next to Derek Gee - Ernst may be the best pure Time Trial specialist in Canada. In a surprise and major dispointment for Ernst last Summer he was left off the Canadian men’s Team Pursuit Team for the Olympic Games, when for the last number of year’s he was a key engine on that Team - so this is a bit of redemption for him.
I watched this one at home on a Livestream of the datastream! It had been an honor to have been the host Announcer for the last two Canadian One Hour Records - with Ed Veal, and then as part of a Livestream produced by @talbotcox when Lionel broke that record of Veal’s.
It means to me anyway, from having been there, and knowing what Lionel’s background was - that he had only ridden on the track on a fixed gear Track Bike 5 times, that his was the more extraordinary achievement here!
Prior to Lionel’s attemp there were guffaw’s of laughter about just about all of it, right down to his choice of gearing, most saying - no way he’s going to be able to keep that up. But he did, and he acquitted himself extremely well! Under the circumstances!
After I had finished with the Livestream Announcing at Lionel’s middle of the pandemic record hour and we were done with the post ride interviews, I talked one-on-one with Lionel for a bit. At that moment, he was extremely curious about how he could go further - at altitude, more specific training on the Track, possibility some better equipment and gearing choices. But then Triathlon racing came back post pandemic and he was back into his more normal routine.
The lack of experience and rawness of that one-off attempt, that Lionel made - my feeling was he could have easily gone a kilometer or more further with another run at it!
Well since the YouTube stuff morectge source of his income why not try again. Imo if he was that good should have went to do TT in olympics . But now ditlev and everyone smoking him. Missed opportunities live forever
I recall @talbotcox texting me during the Livestream of Lionel’s Record Breaking Hour while I was doing the Live Announcing (Talbot was Producing off-site) and he told me that we had about 15,000 watching live while it was actually happening. Within a week of posting the full video up on his YouTube Page the video had well over 100,000 views! Current tally = 193,000 views!!
Valid point. It’s NOT a “race” or event that you see people doing all the time 1) It’s relatively VERY expensive. 2) Requires some very specific training and preparation and a block of time set aside for that. 3) There’s little to zero reward for achieving a record - unless it’s embedded in a Sponsor Bonus for Professional level riders.
With all due respect to Chris Ernst, I’m sure Derek Gee could go further than this - but as I just layed out, there really is zero room in a World Tour level riders year to do this.
As much as I would like Gee to go for it, we all know there is little financial motivation to book the time unless he could for Ganna’s mark, but 57 kph is likely out of anyone’s league at the moment other than Remco, Pogi, et al who have little motivation as they are busy winning more profitable races.
But, kudos to Chris Ernst for getting it. Great way for a semi-pro to get some great exposure and hopefully move up to a conti pro or pt team.
