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Italy's Filippo Ganna has smashed cycling's hour world record - registering 56.792km in 60 minutes on a track in Switzerland.

He beat the previous UCI mark, 55.548km, set by his Ineos Grenadiers team-mate Dan Bigham in August, by a margin of 1.244km.

Ganna, 26, rode a specially designed 3D-printed Pinarello bike at the Tissot Velodrome in Grenchen.

"It's amazing, fantastic for me and the staff who've worked on it," he said.

The Italian, looking surprisingly fresh after his exploits, will now head to France for the Track World Championships, which start on Wednesday.

The hour record is the longest distance cycled in one hour and is considered one of the most prestigious records in the sport.

Ganna also beat British rider Chris Boardman's 'Best Human Effort' record of 56.375km. That was set in 1996, using the aerodynamic 'Superman' riding position but it was later banned by cycling's world governing body the UCI.