Two days ago Matthias Brändle secured himself a place in the history books. The 24-year-old Austrian set a new Hour Record, just a few weeks after Jens Voigt had added his name to the list. Belgian time trial champion reflected on the record in an interview with Sporza.

Last Thursday Matthias Brändle covered 51.850 kilometers in an hour which was slightly more than Jens Voigt did last month.

"That's a nice distance," Belgian TT champion Kristof Vandewalle tells Sporza. "It is not an effort that anyone can do right away. There is a lot of preparatory work involved. The condition must surely be all right."

It is striking that the Hour Record has been broken twice within a short time. That is no coincidence since the UCI wanted more attention to the record. Due to less strict equipment rules, it is now easier to make a successful attempt.

"Earlier you had to ride on a classic track bike which is similar to a regular racing bike," Vandewalle explains. "Now you are allowed to use an aerodynamic position.

"You may use a time trial bar as in the pursuit on the track. You catch less wind and you must use less force to develop the same speed. That makes a big difference."

Does the success of Brändle make Vandewalle dream? 

"I have little experience on the track," said the Trek rider. "It's not exactly my goal but it's not impossible either. But I think I can forget about my ambitions when someone like Wiggins has made an attempt."