Davide Formolo and Maria Vittoria Sperotto set the record on October 30, but the cycling world is now awakening to the strange but official record of only 918 meters, the shortest distance covered in one hour on the Verodromo Lino Mercante di Bassano del Grappa ( Slowest Hour Record) is waking up.

The record-breaking feat, which was broadcast live last month, was featured on La Repubblica delle Biciclette, a weekly show on ScratchTV (opens in new tab), and drew worldwide attention on Wednesday.

The two Italians were the first to cut 1 km, setting a record at the Festival del Ciclista Lento and surpassing the 1,070 meters set by Bruno Zanoni at the same festival in 2019.

Not to be confused with the official UCI hour record, the slowest hour is a test of skill, balance, and endurance, not raw speed, power, or pain tolerance. Riders do not invest thousands of euros in high-tech aerodynamic equipment. They use only geared bicycles without brakes, cannot come to a complete stop, and must move forward at the slowest possible speed

. [Former pro Gilberto Simoni tried and failed at 1,072 meters, and another former pro, Alan Marangoni, tried last year and finished at 1,350 meters.