Racing

Strava stats: Alex Dowsett smashes British 25-mile time trial record

British time trial champion sets new mark on E2/25 course near Newmarket

Alex Dowsett smashed the British 25-mile time trial competition record at the weekend, clocking a time of 44.29 minutes on the E2/25 course near Newmarket – and his Strava stats are pretty incredible.

Dowsett – home from training in the Pyrenees for a family birthday – took more than a minute off Matt Bottrill’s previous mark of 45.43 at the ECCA Championships event.

Setting an average speed of nearly 34mph on the A14 Newmarket bypass, Dowsett is the first rider to break the 45-minute mark for 25 miles, and won the event by more than two minutes.

And the Essex-born rider’s Strava upload shows exactly how he did it.

Having missed the Giro d’Italia as a result of surgery to remove a metal plate from his collarbone, Dowsett proved he is in red-hot form with a huge average power output of 409 watts. His maximum power of 628 watts came as he burst out of the start block and accelerated up to speed before settling into his race pace.

Dowsett also recorded an average heart rate of 169 beats per minute for the ride, and a maximum of 177.

The last man out of the start gate for the event, Dowsett’s Strava stats – recorded on his Garmin Edge 520 – show a steady cadence, which hovered around the 90 mark, with an average of 92rpm.

Alex Dowsett, pictured in action for Movistar, smashed the British 25-mile time trial record at the weekend (Pic: Sirotti)

A slight headwind on the return leg failed to throw him off his stride, and neither did a temperature recorded at just eight degrees – had it been warmer, Dowsett has claimed he could have gone even faster.

Dowsett will now continue his preparation for the Tour de France, where he hopes to once again be part of Movistar’s nine-rider squad for the race.