Sir Bradley Wiggins has set a new world record for distance covered in one hour - described as cycling's "Holy Grail".
The four-time Olympic champion completed the feat with minutes to spare, earning a huge roar at the Lee Valley VeloPark in London.
He eventually clocked 54.526km in the hour - demolishing the previous record of 52.937km set by fellow Briton Alex Dowsett last month.
The 34-year-old had enough strength to raise his bike above his head in celebration.
"I'm glad it's done," said Wiggins, the 2012 Tour De France winner. "That's the closest I will come to knowing what it's like to have a baby.
"It's tortuous. It's such a relief and was such a build-up. We've been through so much, my wife and children know so much about air pressure now."
The event sold out in just seven minutes.
A raucous crowd cheered on their man throughout the hour - but Wiggins admitted afterwards he could not hear them.
"It's so difficult to block the noise out," he said. "They put a playlist of music together that I had to okay and I couldn't hear anything.
"I thank everyone for coming and putting their hands in their pocket."
Ahead of the bid, Sir Bradley described the record as "a Holy Grail for cyclists".
