Cruising to another gold (Image credit: John Veage)
Chris Hoy announced that he will attempt to capture the world kilo record in May in La Paz, Bolivia. The Olympics may have dropped the kilo, but Hoy is still motivated to try for the record during what will be his final kilo.
"You can't really talk about the greatest ever," he said to Scotsman.com. "With all the changes in equipment and training, it's like comparing apples and oranges. But if, in the modern era, I can retire from the event as Olympic champion, world champion and world record holder ..."
Frenchman Arnaud Tournant set the record in the same location, a velodrome located at 3,417m altitude, where thin air and decreased wind resistance help speed times. Hoy's best time thus far, ridden at Sea Level in Athens at the Olympics, is almost two seconds behind Tournant's 58.875 second record.
Hoy told the Scottsman.com that it took him one year to raise the £40,000 to cover the record attempt, but lots of uncertainties remain.
"I've never been to that altitude and I don't know how I'll cope with it until I get there," he said. "Some people respond well, others don't. I competed in Mexico, which is at 2,000 metres, and I was okay. But I saw one guy vomiting blood after competing. It was quite gruesome." While in Bolivia, Hoy will also try for the 200m and 500m records, but not until after his primary attempt - the kilo.
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