Lionel Sanders’ track cycling national record topples
Canadian pro cyclist Chris Ernst blazes the track to a new record
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Photo: James Mitchell
He mostly dominates in the triathlon world, but Canadian pro Lionel Sanders held the national indoor One Hour Track Cycling record – until now.
Sanders broke the record in Milton, Ontario in the fall of 2020 by riding 51.304 kilometres in one hour. He toppled Canadian cyclist Ed Veal’s record by almost three kilometres. At the time, Sanders had only ridden a fixed gear track bike five times previous. It was a remarkable accomplishment from an athlete that up until that the time was riding dominantly in the pro triathlon field.
The ultimate suffering
After breaking the record he said, “That was a very painful effort. It was great. I live for this stuff. This feels like my first race of the season. It feels good to push myself to the limit.
“The first 30 minutes were not bad,” he continued. “The pain was significant over the second half. I had hoped to push more over the last 10 minutes, but there was nothing more. I think that means I had my pacing right.”
Sanders set the record during Covid, stunning the triathlon community in general. At the time he mused about what more he could do on the track, but as Covid restrictions lifted he returned to racing triathlon.
Pro cyclist rides away with it
The triathlete continued to dominate in the pro field after setting the track record and Covid restriction lifted, winning several Ironman 70.3 races since.
Sanders’ record fell to Canadian track cycling champion Chris Ernst last weekend. Ernst rode almost a kilometre more than Sanders with 52.3 in 60 minute, at the Mattamy National Cycling Center near Toronto, Ontario.
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Ernst eyeing the record since last year
The feat is considered one of the toughest in track cycling. It requires that the rider stay in aerobars for the full duration while holding max effort from a stationary start. Regarded as one of the most impressive achievements in cycling, 25-year old Ernst announced in 2024 that he would attempt to break the record this year.
“Records are meant to be broken,” said Sanders at the time. “I hope someone does, and I hope that someone does that soon. I would love to try that at altitude, but that’s a project for another off-season.”
A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Ernst is a Pan American Champion, a pro track and road cyclist, and record holder for the fastest Canadian four kilometre Individual Pursuit Record.