30-Year-Old Dutch Cyclist Aims to Break the Longest-Standing Record as the ‘Final Jewel’ in His Crown

Speed is one aspect of sports that will always be an upside. Everyone wants to run and move fast regardless of whether they play a sport or not. Speed is seen more as a virtue than ability in our world. It means you can go fast, get things done fast, get to places faster, and so on. So, it’s obvious that the world is, and has always been, obsessed with being the fastest person. Today, we address one such speed junkie in Jeffrey Hoogland, who has his eyes set on becoming the next speed demon of cycling.

That’s right, Hoogland’s goal is to set a new world record for the fastest to cover one kilometer on the bike. It is the longest-standing record in cycling.

Race Against World Record

Hoogland’s time to beat is 56.303 seconds. The record was set by François Pervis in 2013. However, in the past 10 years, no one has come even close to that mark. One would call that the very definition of an uphill battle. Still, Hoogland remains unphased, and with good reason. In the last year, Hoogland is the only person to break the 58-second barrier. And he has done it twice. He currently stands the best chance at coming even close to Pervis’ record.

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Hoogland began to take his world record attempt seriously only about seven months ago. Training since has been rigorous. The Dutch rider will attempt to break the world record in Mexico on October 31. Hoogland is working very hard, according to his coach Mehdi Kordi. Kordi claims that Hoogland has “had four or five days off and then he was back on it.”However, Hoogland might require a new cycle, according to his coach. Kordi says Hoogland is strong enough to have ripped off handlebars from his previous bicycles “We’ve got like a 10-year-old TT bar because that’s the only one that can survive his strength,” Kordi said.

Hoogland’s record-breaking attempt has cost in access of f €65,000, which has been funded by various sponsors. While Pervis set his record, he had a significant drag advantage, which means Hoogland’s job becomes only harder.

What Hoogland’s Coach Thinks

Kordi claims that the one-kilometer ride is not very demanding. “The strategy is to go out like a bat out of hell and hang on for dear life,” he added. He also hoped for Hoodland to hit 78 km/hour. The coach believes the key for Hoogland will be in trying to manage the fatigue, which is down to gear choice. “With a bigger gear, you don’t start off fast enough, but if you go for a lighter gear, you can start off too quickly and rev out,” he added.

Kordi has no idea what time Hoogland is going to clock in – nor does he seemingly care. “All I care about is that he breaks the world record,” he says. “I don’t care by how much, whether it’s a thousandth of a second, or four seconds. For me, him breaking that world record and cementing himself as the best rider is what I’m focused on.”  We wish Hoogland the best of luck in his attempt to write his name in cycling history.

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