German cyclist Jens Voigt has broken the prestigious hour record - before immediately retiring from the sport.
Voigt covered 51.115 kilometres in 60 minutes in Grenchen, Switzerland, beating Andrej Sosenka's record of 49.700km set in 2005. Previous holders of the record include the likes of Eddy Merckx and Britain's Chris Boardman.
It is the first time the record has been broken since the sport's governing body the UCI relaxed the rules on the equipment which can be used, after which 2012 Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins stated his intention to mount an attempt on the record.
Voigt said: "I went off a little too fast at the start and I had a bad spell after the halfway mark, but the support of the crowd and knowing that this was my last race meant that I could finish strongly. I gave everything in the last 20 minutes.
"I saw Chris Boardman beating the record in 2000 and I said to myself: 'what a great way that would be to finish my career'.
"Thirty-three years of cycling behind me. This was my last attempt. I'm in so much pain... but what a way to retire!"
