Bobridge ready to go to hell and back in pursuit of Hour Record

There will be thousands of people in the DISC velodrome in Melbourne on Saturday night to cheer him on, but the only number that will matter to Jack Bobridge is 51.852.

Bobridge will attempt to break the UCI Hour Record of 51.852km set by Austrian Matthias Brandle in October last year.

If his performance at the Tour Down Under where he won a stage, led the race and claimed the King of the Mountain title, is anything to go by, it is likely the South Australian will have another world record to add to the four kilometre pursuit record he already holds.

"Winning a stage if anything has given me more confidence coming into the Hour Record knowing that my training is coming along for Saturday night," Bobridge told Cycling Central in Melbourne.

Sixty minutes against the clock will be the biggest physical challenge Bobridge has ever faced, but he is prepared to "go to hell and back several times".

The key will be to measure his early efforts if he is to last the distance.

"To go out hard is going to be a big mistake for one hour. I think it is going to be to control that first half an hour and the last half an hour will be just to hang on and give what you've got."

Fellow Australian Rohan Dennis will have a crack at the Hour Record in Switzerland on 8 February. You can watch Dennis's Hour Record attempt live on SBS.