Thirsty (for knowledge) Thursday: Ashton Lambie's World Record Bike Ride

This is a bit "different" of a "Thirsty Thursday" post as I'm not sharing training tips or new science related to swimming, biking, or running... but instead some crazy info about a world record track ride that happened a few weeks ago. I've assembled some info from a few articles below.

Here are a few paragraphs from this article:

Ashton Lambie averaged more than 60kph — from a standing start — to set a world record of 3:59.93 in the 4km individual pursuit at the Aguascalientes velodrome in Mexico.

[...]

Excluding the intense start, which his longtime coach Benjamin Sharp said could have peaked at 1,300 or 1,400 watts, Lambie estimated that he averaged between 480 and 500 watts for the four-minute effort.

[...]

It is now the second time Lambie has set a world record in the individual pursuit. In 2018, also at altitude, he rode a record-setting time of 4:07.251.

This year, the record belonged to world time trial champion Filippo Ganna, who had set a time of 4:01.934 in Berlin.

Taking 2 seconds off a 4 minute record is pretty huge! And pulling 1,300+ watts at the start is INSANE!!

Below are some (not all) photos from this Velo News article that shared some great images:

Mechanic Carlos Rivas (in hat) completely disassembled Lambie’s bike for the UCI officials to inspect.


Dr Christina Birch, Lambie’s partner and an accomplished track racer, wipes down the high-pressure tubulars.


Lambie’s set-up consisted of thousands of dollars of specialized equipment.


A good-luck kiss before a world-record attempt.


Lambie laces up.


Lambie trained for the hot (and fast) conditions at Aguascalientes by doing intense trainer sessions in a big steel shed in Montana.


Lambie picked the high-and-hot Aguascalientes track for its fast conditions, and he and his team monitored temperature and air density on the days they were at the track.


Lambie and Birch have raced on many tracks around the world in elite competition. At Aguascalientes, there was no overarching competition — just one man and his sub-four-minute mission.


Lambie arranged the attempt with the UCI to make sure it would be validated.


Birch helps Lambie into his ultra-tight, ultra-fast Vorteq suit.


The start is a vital part of the individual pursuit that requires huge amounts of torque. Lambie’s 60+kph/37+mph average speed would be impressive if done from a flying start; he averaged that including a start from a dead stop. Next time you’re out on an open stretch of road, trying starting from a dead stop and accelerating to 60kph/37mph without shifting.

All of this is amazing to me (obviously), but that last stat is astounding. I mean... 0 to 37 mph in THE SAME GEAR?!?

Back to some pics after he's taken off:

Lambie in full flight.


Brian Abers calls out time splits as Lambie blazes around the track.


Lambie had no other rider on track to chase, just the clock, and history.


There were no fans in the velodrome, just officials and Lambie’s support crew.


The world-record effort left Lambie shattered. Abers and Bob Beise help Lambie unzip his Vorteq gear.


Lambie recovers as the impact of the effort fades and the result sinks in.


And, with a few keystrokes of a UCI computer, the record was validated.


Cheers, Lambie, on your new world record.

If you're interested in his training in Montana as he lived in a 1992 Starcraft Leisure Star trailer while training out of a machine shed, here's an article about that.

And if you want to see a raw video (sometimes tipped to the side) of his attempt to get a real feel of his speed, check out the video on Zipp's Instagram page.

For more "Thirsty Thursday" posts that highlight workouts, body science, and all kinds of interesting information, CLICK HERE. As always, check back for some "Friday Funnies" tomorrow!