Francesco Moser's Hour Records - 1984

The World Hour Record has been back in the spotlight of recent note after the relaxing of the rules related to the record.  Here is a report from the April 1984 edition of Winning Bicycle Racing Illustrated of Francesco Moser's two new hour records set within four days of each other in early 1984.

TRIUMPH OF TECHNOLOGY

by Kent K. Gordis

photos by Sergio Penazzo

Pierre Chany, of the French sports daily l'Equipe, was the only French journalist who had bothered to come to Mexico City. On this crisp January morning, with temperatures hovering around 48 degrees. Francesco Moser and his entourage had announced a trial run over 20km.

One hour later Moser had covered the unbelievable distance of 50.809 kilometers. Chany, a veteran of nearly fourty years of cycling journalism, dizzily wired back to his paper. “We have just witnessed a truly phenomenal exploit.”

Nearly six months earlier Francesco Moser had announced his intention of breaking this record which had become nearly sacred since Eddy Merckx had set it in 1972. But Moser wasn't fooling around. With the help of a well-endowed and willing sponsor, Enervit, an Italian firm which markets health products for athletes, Moser began an intensive training and technical development program.

Moser set about to topple all the previously held notions of this most sacred of all cycling institutions. Whereas all recent previous attempts has been made soon after the end of the road season to benefit from the fitness of a year’s riding, Moser announced that he would not make a stab at the record before January.

With Enervit's energetic backing, Moser set about to prepare for his hour ride in a singularly scientific way. Moser's revolutionary bicycle was carefully studied, designed and redesigned by Moser's design man, professor Dal Monte. Sergio Pininfarina, the famous automobile designer, rented out his wind-tunnel to Moser's crew, who studied differently shaped tubes and accessories right down to the last millimeter. It soon became clear that the top tube would have to be sloped down as far as possible and that the sudden jut that the seat post represented had to be reduced to a minimum. It was also quickly learned that full wheel-covers represented a tremendous improvement over conventional spoked models; this fact would play a crucial role later on down the line.

Moser set about riding his new-fangled machine, logging in many miles on Milan's indoor track. His fitness was constantly tested and monitored toreach the ultimate level. Doctor Francesco Conconi, who headed the medical team, explained the goals of this method. “To reach our goal we had to establish the exact relationship between Moser's power and his heart beat, between his power and variable climatic conditions and also between the intensive kind of training that he had to undertake and the deoxygenated atmosphere of Mexico City. With these goals in mind, we tried to establish a preparation program, based on natural non-chemical methods, that would allow him to extend the upper-limit of his abilities without entering into oxygen debt.”

To constantly monitor his state of being, Moser rode with a small heart-beat recorder strapped to his wrist and with electrodes attached to his body. After a brief jaunt to Sicily to avoid the wintery climes of northern Italy, Moser boarded a jet in Rome and flew off to Mexico City along with his wife and young daughter.

Moser not taken seriously

Back on the Old Continent, not too many people were taking Moser seriously. He hadn't had a very good road season in 1983, his most notable performance being a sixth place finish in the late season Tour of Lombardy — this was seen as a clear sign that Moser was falling victim to the vicissitudes of age that inevitably ravage all athletes. His unusual bike with sloping top and seat tubes was seen as nothing short of ridiculous. Its 16.5 lbs. seemed prohibitively heavy for an hour record machine, especially in light of the fact that Merckx's bike had weighed a mere 12.9 lbs. Most of this extra weight, it turned out, resided in the wheels. It had always been accepted in the world of cycling that the rolling weight of the wheels had to be kept at a minimum. But Moser was confidently ready to ride with wheels weighing no less than 6.6 lbs., quite a hefty load if you consider that Merckx's wheels had weighed half as much.

But what was even more revolutionary, or questionable, depending on your viewpoint, was the design of these wheels. Moser's wind-tests had clearly shown that full wheel-covers were much more aerodynamic and avoided the 'egg beater' effect that spokes produce. Moser's crew also installed small lead weights below the specially constructed carbon fiber rims, to help create extra momentum. Purists balked and had the feeling Moser was stretching the intent of the law.

But the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale), the governing body of cycling which oversees hour record attempts, has only the vaguest of rules. One must assume that Moser received an OK from the UCI before testing and using them in his ride—the price for development and production of each wheel reached a monumental $6000!

The man most often questioned before Moser's hour ride was obviously Eddy Merckx. The Belgian clearly felt that Moser's chances were limited. Not only did he feel that Moser's in-depth preparation would not make up for his failing athletic ability (see below: Merckx: If Anything Is Allowed, Anything Is Possible). But he also felt that Moser had picked the wrong time of the year to tackle this record which Eddy remembers as the most difficult ride of his life. Merckx was also critical of Moser's choice of gears.

The Italian had announced his intention of riding a 53x 14 (102.2 inch gear), much larger than Merckx's 52 x 14 (100.2 inch gear). “He'll never last the whole hour with that gear. His legs will tire quickly,” the Belgian emphatically stated.

Once in Mexico City, Moser's men quickly set about covering the Mexican capital's cement track with a 27.5 inch-wide strip of a glossy wax material to reduce surface friction. From December 29th, 1983 until January 19th, 1984, when Moser first broke the record, he alternated track riding with quick road jaunts.

Finally, the time had come to ride the initial 20 km run. It was subsequently leaked that Moser's trainers had secretly agreed with Francesco to keep running for the full hour if his intermediate times looked good. But no one else was told to limit any embarrassment in case of possible failure.

Quickly but evenly

On that chilly January morning, Moser's crew busily assembled the complicated computerized system which had been programmed to follow Moser every step of the way. This computer had been programmed to calculate Moser's average pace comparatively to his ideal pace. It could also approximate how far Moser would go over each minute of the remaining portion of his ride. Moser decided to drop the 53x 14 for a slightly less ambitious gear of 56x 15 (100.7 inches). He also decided to leave aside the heavy and obstructing tear-drop shaped helmet that had been designed; instead he opted for conventional leather head-gear covered with a synthetic material.

At 10:36 A.M. local time, Moser set off, still wearing his full-body one-piece synthetic suit. Moser started quickly but rode evenly; with his 'momentum-filled' wheels, he had to maintain as even a rhythm as possible. After 5 kilometers, he was already seven seconds ahead of Merckx's time with a blazing 5:48:24 a new five kilometer world record! Moser would go on to set new five, ten and twenty kilometer records. At this point, he received a resolute 'thumbs-up' signal from signor Sassi, the man in charge of monitoring Moser's track-side computer read-outs. And ahead he charged.

When it was all over, a stunned crowd had just seen Moser pull off what must be labelled the long-shot upset of the century in cycling. In front of a few hundred disbelieving spectators, Moser had just wiped out Eddy Merckx's untouchable hour record. Where the Belgian great had ridden 49.431 km in the space of sixty minutes, Moser had covered 50.809 km. No rider since the American trackie W.W. Hamilton riding in 1898 had improved the previous record by such a margin. Moser had bettered Merckx's ride by 1,377 meters while Merckx had only ridden 778 meters further than Ole Ritter.

“Was it hard?” Journalists huddled around the new world hour record holder. “Of course it was,” Moser answered calmly, “It always is, but I was expecting it to be much more difficult.” Moser, in fact, looked remarkably fresh. Whereas Jacques Anquetil in his 1956 ride and Merckx had seemed perilously near the edge in their incredible effort, Moser's ride seemed smooth, almost effortless. Journalists of all nations scrambled to reach the velodrome before Moser left. Phones rang desperately all around news bureaus in Europe and South America as anxious editors begged for photos. Most had missed the biggest cycling scoop of the year and the adventurous few were richely rewarded for their temerity.

Carnival atmosphere

Suddenly, Moser announced to a dazzled cycling world; “I will return to the track on Monday and ride 52 kilometers.” The solemn institution that the world hour record had been all at once seemed to deteriorate into a carnival. Italian fans and newspapermen quickly began arriving in droves. All of Italy marvelled in Moser's success. In Moser's home province of Alte Adige, thousands of ecstatic fans celebrated in the streets. The Italian sports daily II Corriere dello Sport carried laudatory headlines; «Moser — a legend in his own time!»

On a more business-like note, Moser's medical crew announced that he had never come close to oxygen-debt or lactification of the muscle tissue – they were confident in predicting the former world champion's success in breaking his own new record.

On Monday January 23, 1984, Moser got back on the slicked- down Mexican oval. But this time the ambience was dramatically different. Whereas earlier he had been an underdog, he was now eagerly cheered on by enthusiastic Italian fans including an 'erstwhile accordion player who played some Italian tunes for Francesco. At 10:44 A.M. Moser accelerated once again. Unlike the first run, the temperature was quite a bit hotter, hovering around 70 degrees, so Moser decided to ride only in shorts. Also unlike his first ride, tie slipped on a 57x 15 (102 .6 inch gear) which his calculations had shown would be to his advantage.

But this second time around everything did not go as planned. Although the weather seemed quite cooperative in the early going, a slight wind soon picked up. Blowing at about 2.5 mph, this breeze impeded Moser's progress slightly. His crew calculated that a wind as low as 1 mph would have negative effects. Moser would manage to set a new five kilometer record but would not better his own ten kilometer mark.

For many observers the whole thing had seemed too easy, too technical up to now — not gutsy enough. But this is where Moser the fighter, the international class cyclist came into evidence. Obviously suffering much more than before, he persevered, eventually covering 51.151 kilometers 343 meters better than this first time around. Moser did not emerge from this second ride unscathed. And that was, many felt, as it should be the hour record must mark a rider to legitimately be the feared event that it is. Moser complained of an old saddle wound that had reopened. He also deplored the noise the boisterous crowd had made which had been a serious impediment to his concentration.

In this euphoric, carnival-like atmosphere, Moser tried to squash rumors that he would attempt the grueling event a third time; ”The world hour record is a provocation one cannot provoke destiny too often!”

Dangerous Precedent

But all was not euphoria. Very quickly, questions arose as to the legality of Moser's equipment. After all, it was pointed out, doesn't the UCI forbid all aerodynamic fairings? And aren't Moser's full wheel-covers nothing but aerodynamic wheel-fairings? How about Robert Dill-Bundi, who had to tear off his long-sleeved synthetic jersey in the 1980 Olympics before the UCI comissaires would let him ride the pursuit finals? And how about the similar technical improvements that were disallowed by UCI comissaires at the recent world track championships in Zurich, Switzerland? It was felt that if the UCI officially accepted the record as valid, and thus the new wheels as well, this would set a dangerous precedent.

And this new equipment, especially the wind-cheating wheels, might create some dangerous high speeds on tracks that weren't designed for such technology. But the UCI has planned to resolve the question no earlier than August.

As for Moser himself, he remained remarkably unmarked by all the screaming and shouting. He clearly declared his feelings soon after his first ride; “For me, it's clear, Eddy Merckx remains the best rider of all time. I would have never attempted anything like this under the old circumstances. But times change and I was lucky to benefit from more advanced physiological and preparation methods.” Moser clearly stated his position on the `modern' technology that he used; “You can't impose the same bike on all the riders. Anquetil's bike was different from Oscar Egg's (1913). The UCI comissaires checked my bike beforehand and assured me it was legal.” Moser also added that a whole new universe had been opened to competitive cyclists; “The sport, on the whole, has remained at a very low technical and physiological level —I hope I have shown that preparation can make a big difference.” Finally, Moser specified that the hour record was a difficult event, but “not as hard as Paris-Roubaix.”

After it was all over, the entire odyssey had cost something nearing $1,200,000. Moser, for his part, received $17,500 for breaking the record and looked towards the future with a bright smile.

MERCKX: IF ANYYTHING IS ALLOWED ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

A few days after Moser set his second world hour record, Winning's Leon Michaux was on the spot to ask Merckx his views on this history-making event. Although Merckx at first appeared amazed that Moser could ride so far, he quickly changed his mind. Here are his reasons:

L.M. Were Moser's 1983 performances good enough for him to believe that he had a reasonable chance in this world hour record?

E.M. There was nothing which could have indicated his success. Moser's only time trial win in 1983 was in the prologue of the Tour of Trentino, I believe. Moser is an excellent rider in the Classics but he has never really been able to beat the very strong time-trialists. I can remember myself beating him at Le Touquet when I was 30 and he was 24. Today, at nearly 33, he's not as strong as he was then. Actually, I was staggered when a French radio reporter phoned me to say that Moser had just beaten my 20 kilometer record by 38 seconds and was continuing. It surprised me so much because a man cannot perform above his natural capacity — no one can transform themself into an extra-terrestrial otherwise an old donkey could become a race-horse! Of course, at the time, I didn't know the exact nature of the equipment being used.

L.M. Speaking of equipment, it's being said that it's nothing short of a technological revolution. How much difference did this make in Moser's performance?

E.M. First of all, I'd like to say that this was the first time that a rider has been successful in beating the world hour record using less energy than his predecessor. I'm not saying that to diminish Moser's performance but I simply want to emphasize the enormous contribution made by his equipment. More than the athletic effort, it is the equipment that really made the difference, especially the fully-enclosed wheels that replaced the spokes of the wheels. Ergonometer tests have shown that the aerodynamic advantage was of 30 % which means that Moser used much less energy than my 570 watts to set the record. In other words, the fully-enclosed wheels are really nothing more than aerodynamic fairings for the wheels.

L.M. But don't the LIC1's rules forbid anything that might improve penetration through the air?

E.M. Of course. In August of 1983, the Swiss rider Robert Dill-Bundi was stopped from using fully-enclosed wheels in an attempt on the world one kilometer record. Such technological improvements don't come from another planet, they are the end-product of very serious wind-tunnel tests that until now have been prohibited by the UCI. Dill-Bundi was also stopped from riding the pursuit finals in the 1980 Moscow Olympics because he was wearing a long-sleeved jersey — and the rules that govern racing clothing are very strict. I think this a definite case of a double standard. The interpretation of the rules seems to change after the fact with the precedent being set by big investments. Don't forget that each one of Moser's wheels cost $6000!

L.M. Do you think that the UCI will officially accept the record and change the rules?

E.M. For me, it's clear. If the record is officially accepted, then the same kind of equipment has to be authorized in all cycling competitions and notably the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The UCI won't be examining the question before its congress in the month of August, after the Games are over. I'm really curious to see what the reaction of the race officials is going to be if the participants at the Los Angeles Games will ride with fully-enclosed wheels. It would be absurd to accept Moser's record and stop the riders from using the same kind of wheels. In any case, you can be sure that I'll be preparing some fully-enclosed wheels for the Belgian Olympic team, of which I am the official bicycle supplier. I'm even thinking of making some improvements on the transmission mechanism by bringing the rear wheel as close as possible to the crank-set. We are entering in an era of technical research and it's all going to cost a lot. I'm afraid that many young or poor cycling nations won't be able to follow the movement.

L.M. Do you get the feeling that the wold hour record has been devalued and that it won't have the same meaning as before?

E.M. I'm tempted to say that it's almost impossible to compare Moser's record to mine because the bicycles used were so different. All records are made to be beaten and I knew mine would not be eternal. I imagined that a world class rouleur, with special training and using the track at La Paz or any point higher than Mexico City, would have beaten my record. This would have been a triumph of true athletic talent and would have been limited by normal human capacities. But with Moser we have a different phenomenon. It has been calculated that with a bicycle like the one I used in Mexico City, Moser would have only reached 47.8 kilometers. In reality, the most amazing human exploit was Jacques Anquetil's ride where he used an immense 52x 13 for the entire hour whereas Moser used a 57x15.

L.M. Will the record reach levels unheard of a few years ago?

E.M. Obviously. If this kind of equipment is going to be accepted by the UCI. Riders such as Gisiger, Oosterbosch, Oersted or Hinault, who had always hesitated to take the risk of failing after wind-tunnel tests, are better riders than Moser. The only requirement is to have a large budget and to have the courage and merit to undertake a lengthy scientific preparation program. From now on, anything is possible.