Axel Dopfer, a former Engineering Masters student at Loughborough, beat the decade long German hour record by 645m at the Grenchen Velodrome in Switzerland last week (Wednesday 18 September). The previous record of 51.11km had been held by German cyclist Jens Voigt since 2014. Axel’s new record stands at 51.755km
The record attempt was a year in the making, with the project involving an innovative aerodynamic and physiological approach to optimise Axel’s cycling performance.
Axel, who graduated this Summer from Loughborough with a 2:1 Masters in Mechanical Engineering, has dominated the BUCS Championships since 2022, taking seven titles spanning road and track events.
Speaking after the record attempt, he says this achievement is a special one: “So proud to break the German hour record. Everyone in the team at Loughborough has been working tirelessly towards this goal, for which I can’t thank them enough! The support from Loughborough University has been amazing and it was great to see all the science coming together to help me go faster.”
To take on the challenge, Axel need a truly holistic approach – acknowledging expertise was needed across engineering and sporting performance.
To achieve this he worked alongside colleagues across the University, mainly collaborating with those within the Schools of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering and Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences – the former looking at optimising aerodynamic drag whilst the latter looked predominantly at Axel’s physiological performance.
The work leading up to the record attempt demonstrated that improved aerodynamics reduced Axel’s drag (CdA) by over 20% which theoretically enabled him to cover as much as 3km extra distance in the hour. Axel’s bike fit was also improved to prevent injuries and aid aerodynamic and biomechanical efficiency.
Professor Duncan Walker from the University’s National Centre for Combustion and Aerothermal Technology said: “It’s fantastic to bring together my passion for aerodynamics and cycling. But the best thing was working together a great athlete and world leading experts in aerodynamics, physiology, and coaching. The aero gains wouldn’t have been sustainable without the cross disciplinary approach. I am really looking forward to the next 3-years as Axel works towards a PhD with me in cycling aerodynamics.”
Meanwhile, improvements of 5-10% across a range of Axel's physiological markers could mean he can cover an additional 1-2km in the hour. The team worked towards this by developing individualised fuelling, hydration and supplementation strategies for Axel’s attempt.
Paddy Harrison, Exercise Physiology Doctoral Researcher and Coach to the Lightning Elite Development Team and riders in the Loughborough Cycling Academy added: “It's been an incredible journey of collaboration, learning, and development. We've tried to understand performance across multiple disciplines and how all those parts interact to deliver performance on the day - training, physiology, nutrition, environmental preparation, aerodynamics, bike fitting, biomechanics, psychology, equipment, pacing, track craft.”
The team aims to publish research findings across multiple disciplines in the coming year.
Professor Jo Maher, Pro Vice Chancellor for Sport at Loughborough University added: “The cross-disciplinary work that has gone into this successful world record attempt has been nothing short of exceptional. The efforts of Axel and the wider team truly showcases the tremendous expertise and facilities on hand at Loughborough. This is an amazing achievement for all involved and reaffirms our University’s place at the forefront of performance and innovation.”
Later this month, Axel will be combining the practice and theory of cycling performance when he returns to Loughborough to study a PhD on Cycling Aerodynamics: Impact of Fabric Design, part-sponsored by Tudor Pro Cycling.