Jack Bobridge has told Cyclingnews that he feels confident he can break the Hour Record on January 31 in front of his home crowd in Melbourne.

“Australia holds some of the fastest tracks in the world anyway. We have gone with the DISC (Darebin International Sports Centre) because it fits in perfectly with my schedule in the lead up to the worlds and the things I will be doing in preparation for the track worlds. Also we have been watching conditions there for the last few days and they have been fairly good, obviously pending the weather.”

“Also, everyone is going to be there for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on [the next day] so hopefully it will attract a lot of people and we will get a full house.”

The day after Bobridge made his announcement, Rohan Dennis of BMC announced he would make an attempt just a week after Bobridge, but this doesn’t change Budget Forklift’s new signings mindset.

“I had heard whispers that he was going to do it. It doesn't change anything with me with the way I look at it or will train for it. I have always been a person who just looks at my own back yard, and no one else's really. I think it is fantastic that he is going to do it. Along with 'Wiggo' [Bradley Wiggins], there are three 'trackies' who are going to do an hour event. Instead of just the roadies doing it, you have three world class track riders going for it.”

“It couldn't be any better. I think you will get the best hour record out of one of those three track riders. Who it will be? Time will tell. It will be exciting for us three who are going to do it and for everyone going to watch. Hopefully it inspires other trackies and roadies to have a go at it.”

Bobridge knows he can beat the record, but that isn’t enough for him, he says he is determined to smash it.

“I don't want to just break it. I want to put a good benchmark for the other guys behind me to have to chase. At this point I don't have any mark of what I want to do distance wise. All I know is that, personally, I would like to take a fair chunk off [of the record]. It would be great for myself if I could do that.”

He says he is motivated by the prize of joining riders like Indurain and Merckx and that will spur him on during his attempt.

“If you break the hour record you go into history with the all time greats. That's another inspiring thing about it – to be in the record books with all those guys. There are not too many who can be. To be able to do that will be pretty special.”