Sir Bradley Wiggins confirms Hour record attempt in June

Sir Bradley Wiggins has confirmed that he will attempt the Hour record in June next year and that it will give him “something to get out of bed for in the winter.”

Last week, Jens Voigt became the first man to attempt the record since a UCI rule change earlier this year to permit modern, aero, equipment, setting a distance of 51.115km to beat the previous record of 49.7km.

Wiggins, in Ponferrada Spain where he aims to win the rainbow jersey in the time trial this afternoon, told BBC Sport that Voigt, riding the day after his 43rd birthday and bringing the curtain down on his career, had inspired him to have a crack at the record himself.

"I want to prepare for it properly," he said. "It will give me something to get out of bed for in the winter,” he said.

"I was a bit surprised by Jens's decision to do it but what he did was fantastic and fully deserved.

"I could just go and do it next week but if I do it, I'll only do it once."

Voigt’s ride is expected to usher in a new era of top riders vying for the Hour record, as happened in the 1990s when the likes of Graeme Obree and Chris Boardman battled it out using aerodynamic equipment and riding positions that the UCI then banned.

"It was encouraging Jens went so fast. It set a marker, and it was good for the sport," Wiggins went on.

"Someone had to do it first and now it's a realistic aim... not like the record Chris Boardman set 14 years ago,” he added.

That was a reference to Boardman’s ride in 2000 following the UCI’s rule change that required riders to use similar equipment to that available to Eddy Merckx when he set a distance of 49.431km. Boardman rode 10 metres further.