There’s just one week to go before Bridie O’Donnell attempts to break the Women’s UCI Hour Record at the Adelaide Super Dome in Australia. 

To beat Molly Shaffer Van Houweling’s title claiming distance, set last September, she’ll need to cover over 46.273km in 60 minutes on Friday 22nd January.

Interview with UCI World Hour Record Holder Molly Shaffer Van Houweling

The attempt takes place after a day of track racing, and following the fourth stage of the Tour Down Under – guaranteeing an audience.

With the attempt just one week away, the 41-year-old former Australian National Time Trial Champion is entering into the challenge with a fair degree of nerves – she says in her most recent blog:  “I’ve improved from zero to …. somewhere in the territory of ‘good,’ where ‘great’ is Rohan Dennis, ‘amazing’ is Alex Dowsett and ‘exceptional’ is everybody’s favourite knight rider, Sir Bradley Wiggins. And I still have a lot to learn.”

However, she has some big support for what she calls an “enormous, frightening and exciting challenge” – from brands such as Endura, who have provided the perfect aero skinsuit, MucOff, who will ensure no watts are wasted, and Mavic as well as Power2Max and Cervelo.

The Hour record has been revitalized over the last year, thanks to changes that meant modern bikes could be used. Van Houweling’s record replaced that of Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel’s, set 12-year’s prior, and whilst there have been six attempts from men since the rule change, Dame Sarah Storey was the only other woman to have a go. 

The attempt will be streamed live – and you can keep up to date and watch it when the time comes here.