PARIS (AFP) - Germany's Jens Voigt on Thursday lowered cycling's hour record, covering 51.115km at the Velodrome Suisse in Grenchen.

Voigt, who turned 43 on Wednesday, bettered by 1,415m the previous mark of 49.700km set by Ondrej Sosenka of the Czech Republic in 2005 in Moscow.

Prior to Sosenka, the record was held by British Olympic champion Chris Boardman with 49.441km.

Those records, though, were on bicycles that had to closely resemble the one used by Belgian great Eddy Merckx for his record in 1972.

But now the UCI is allowing records using current track cycling pursuit bikes.