For Vittoria Bussi, it's not time to hang up her bike yet. The Hour Record holder (50.2657 KM) and Italian Individual Pursuit record holder for the 3-kilometer distance (3'20") has set herself a new goal: to assault the world record in the four-kilometer event (the new pursuit distance with the record currently held by Anna Morris who on Saturday at the Europeans in Zolder stopped the clock at 4.25.874). The Union Cycliste Internationale has equalized the women's event distance to the men's, and precisely this decision by the governing body of world cycling has pushed the Roman cyclist to take on a new challenge by returning to the track and postponing her retirement from competitive cycling that she had announced last year.

"The International Federation's choice to modify the distance from 3 to 4 kilometers was the decisive factor that led me to decide to get back in the saddle and try to break the record," Vittoria tells tuttobiciweb when we reach her by phone in Andorra, where she is engaged in a high-altitude training camp. She then adds: "The desire to understand how and what I could improve from last year's 3-kilometer attempt was also strong, so I said to myself, 'Come on, I'll retire in a few months'".

Bussi returns to her memory of last September and analyzes: "When I think back to that attempt, I'm satisfied with what I achieved at the start, which was my main concern. But from an aerodynamic point of view, I didn't have time to solve some issues. I approached that attempt trying to use what I had used for the Hour Record, but in the pursuit specialty, it works differently. The standing start and strong acceleration cause turbulence. On the track, accelerations and aerodynamics are fundamental, and understanding scientifically how to manage everything is important. Now I'm working to improve".

In preparation for the new challenge, Vittoria trained at the Velodrome of the World Cycling Centre in Aigle, then spent time in Mallorca, is now in Andorra, and will soon fly to Mexico to reach Aguascalientes, a location at 1800 meters altitude where in October 2023 she set the Hour Record and where she has decided to face this new time trial challenge. "The Mexican Velodrome is one I know well, all the materials I use are optimized to work well on that track and at that sea level altitude" she tells us.

Besides the location of the attempt, the Italian athlete has another certainty: "In addition to the attempt to break the world record in the 4 kilometers, I will try to improve the Hour Record that already belongs to me. Initially, the project was to try only the Pursuit, then I reflected and realized it would be nice to close my career as I started it, with the Hour attempt. So I applied to the International Cycling Union to do both attempts, but..." Vittoria makes a very brief pause, we understand she is about to say something important, "The UCI's response was unexpected. I discovered that while for the World Record attempt in pursuit, electronic timing from any company is sufficient, to have the Hour Record officially recognized by the International Federation, the electronic timing must be provided by Tissot, and this year the timing costs are borne by the organizer and the athlete attempting the Record".

The 37-year-old cyclist and mathematician delves into the issue and breaks down the numbers: "The quote I was sent is for 40,000 Euros". She continues and emphasizes, also with her tone of voice: "I will still attempt the Hour Record and have myself timed by the company I use for the Pursuit attempt, but it doesn't seem fair to me. The Hour Record should be accessible to any athlete who believes they have the legs to try it, not just to those with deep pockets. This project of mine is also a way to make those who govern cycling reflect so that they review the regulations. I'm doing this for future generations of cyclists, I wouldn't want this problem to exist in the future".

This is where the chapter of uncertainties opens: "We are trying to understand how to manage this, currently we still don't know if the attempt will be an officially recognized Hour Record attempt or not. Everything is still being defined, including the date; I chose May, which is a hot and dry period, unlike the 2023 attempt when I chose the rainy period".

In closing, we ask Vittoria how the fundraising she launched just after Christmas is going: "Currently it stands around 2000 Euros. I thank everyone who is participating, every small contribution is important. I've read and heard things that really hurt me. I want to clarify that the funds I manage to raise allow me to approach the preparation with more tranquility. Currently here in Andorra, I am accompanied by two members of my staff, Patrizia Spadaccini and Gianmario Colombo: facing a high-altitude training camp with part of the team is definitely important". She then adds: "I would like to thank the other members of my RoadtoRecord team, particularly Engineer Fausto Pella (curator of the Poggio and Cipressa Murals project and one of the creators of the Brianza Vintage Bicycle Museum, ed.) who strongly believes in the project and the partner companies that support me".

For Vittoria, it's not yet time to hang up her bike, there's the Hour to think about: the countdown to the Record has begun.