Sunday, July 29, 2007

What are the differences in training adaptations between a steady state threshold session and a session that has the same Average Watts but is more variable?

IE a 20 min AT interval on a Fluid trainer at a steady pace and a 20 min interval in rolling terrain at the same Average Watts.

Jeff

Jeff-

I am throwing a few assumptions in here…….I am assuming that the first interval is 20:00 of non-stop pedaling inside (“trainer”) at a high rpm (“trainer”) with average watts representing threshold power intensity (“AT interval”). I am also assuming that the second interval is a total of 20:00 outside (“rolling terrain”) with an average watts representing threshold power intensity (“same average watts”).

With that said your training adaptation may be different, as the rides require contrasting strain on the body to recruit different muscle fibers and tax various physiological systems. At a consistent pace, there is little variation and continuous demands on the muscles and energy systems. The training adaptation would likely include economy and stamina, while increasing the blood buffering of lactate. Since the session is on a trainer, the effort is more controlled and continuous and will therefore represent the true intensity of the interval goal.

A rolling terrain is going to present variable stages of load required to muscle the ascents and not as much of load on the downward slope and other factors like wind. Plus, there will be times when you are not pedaling (zero watts) and times when you are laying the smack down (high watt surges). Therefore, average watts doesn’t necessarily reflect the true intensity, but is merely a middling of the overall effort. Training adaptation will focus more on developing cardiovascular strength and muscular power to push more resistance for stretched periods of time.

There are many variables that determine the anticipated training adaptation, but in general, a steady state pace on a trainer near threshold power will put a bit more focus on aerobic endurance. Whereas, a steady state pace on rolling terrain may put a bit more focus on muscular stamina.

Angie

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What happens to the rider after he crosses the finish line?

On TV coverage, a guy from the team is there to "catch" the rider after he finishes. Then he kinda controls/keeps rider upright but whisks them away. Then on TV, they cut to the awards where the guys look pretty good considering they've been tin the saddle for 4:30 to 6"30 hours.

What are the hoops the rider has to go thru between finishing and then appearing on the podium? Do they get to shove down some food? Bird bathe? Clean clothes? Shave? What's the time lag between finishing and podium sightings?

Thanks for considering my question. I've been watching the Tour for several years and wondering how the guys can always look pretty clean and fresh on the podium after what they do.

Sherry

Sherry,

After the finish of each stage the riders have their handler there to greet them. They usually get a wet towel to wipe their face and a cold drink of their choosing. Some like cold water on their heads and a nice coke, some like a recovery drink. The riders then either go to doping control, an interview, the podium, or the team bus. The riders that go to the team bus can get changed right away, and they have food and drink on the bus which is usually less than a 2 minute bike ride from the finish. The ones that go to the podium have food and drink in the RV next to the podium. The ones doing interviews are only delayed a couple minutes before they go to the team bus.

Many times when there is a big mountain top finish with only one way down, the riders cross the finish--they get their recovery drink and a snack--then ride back down the mountain, which I find crazy since there are other riders finishing still. That is what I find totally crazy. Riding down the mountain saves them hours because the busses cannot go down until the last rider finishes and the podium and everything else is sorted out.

ciao
Robbie

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Hi guys...

On the matter of cooling, I see some riders who always seem to wear an undershirt (often mesh) under their jersey, and others who don't. What are the arguments for and against each choice?

Second, how do you keep ear buds inside a sweaty ear? I guess superglue is not advised.

-dB

David,

Often times the ear pieces do pop out of the riders ears. Some riders tape them in, some riders have custom ear buds that do not require tape. Some just fit snug enough to work. In the radio box they have a bunch of different ear pieces that you can choose. Once you find one that fits you well then you are golden.

As for the under- T shirts. Some riders really like the feeling of a wicking undershirt beneath there jerseys. In the older days the fabric of the jerseys were not nearly as nice as they are now. Most jerseys irritated your skin and were generally not as comfortable as the soft wicking T shirts they wore beneath. Now you seem many more riders not using the under T shirts on hot days simple because the extra material is hotter and heavier then a plain light weight jersey.

ciao
Robbie

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Saturday, July 28, 2007

How important is the athlete's' warm up for shorter races? What are some key elements of a good warm up?

Thanks
Kelly --Minnesota

For most rides, a thorough warm-up is an essential part of the success of your ride, especially a short, intense event like a 5-10 minute prologue. The warm-up is more than just time on the bike to increase the temperature to the active muscles but should also include adequate stretching, cycling-specific warm-up, and the final mental tuning. This time can provide a period of solitude necessary for final mental preparation. The physiological reasons to warm-up is to increase the blood flow to and the temperature of the active muscle groups. Research shows that it does not slow the rate of muscle glycogen use during the ride as some riders might believe. As a general suggestion, I recommend a 20-30 minute pre-race regimen that includes 10 minutes of stretching, 10 minutes on the bike or wind trainer slowly increasing intensity including several 10-30 second sprints near power output of the event, and 10 minutes of mental preparation for the event. Finally, warm-up routines vary between cyclists and you should find out what works best for you by trying different warm-up activities until you find what combination of activities brings you to the starting line ready to perform your best.

Sally Edwards

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Which is harder for a pro cyclist, a 7-hour mostly slow paced ride with a sprint at the end or a shorter, faster ride? In which of those types of rides do cyclists burn more fuel?

Thanks,
Jay

Jay,

It is all about surges at the tour. The longer easier stages are not as demanding as the harder more intense climbing stages for these aerobic specimens. For riders that are not as fit, the long days are a bit tougher because they do not fuel properly nor do they have the aerobic base to ride all day. These guys can go all day steady without much damage because they are so fit. The intensity kills the cat-

ciao
Robbie

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I have noticed differences in my power output depending on what time of day I train. It seems like during early AM workouts I put out less power for the same RPE then I would in the midday. Is this a common thing and should I change my power goals during these early AM workouts?

Aaron

Thanks, Aaron for your question. There are a lot of individual differences in performance and the answer to your question just might be attributed to that. Whether it is your internal clock or whatever triggers our power physiology. Just like some folks are early-morning people and love to train at 5:00 am others are afternoon folks and find that is the peak time of their day. What’s really important is not how much power you can output at any specific time of the day but that you are training and enjoying every watt of it!

With heart,
Sally

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Friday, July 27, 2007

I talked with Floyd Landis last week at a Seattle book signing as asked his advice in advance of the 202-mile Seattle-to-Portland Bike Classic that I rode on Saturday. Floyd joked that I should be sure to eat a hamburger along the way. At least I think it was joke. I couldn't imagine chowing down a burger 100 or so miles into a ride. But my recollection is that Floyd was never a nutrition nut. He was a cycling freak of nature. What were his eating habits during rides?

Thanks,
Jay --Washington

Jay,

Floyd ate a lot of burgers on a lot of rides. His favorite was In n Out. I also saw him eat lasagna, potatoes, sour gummy worms, sour gummy bears, spaghetti, egg sandwiches, cokes, Gatorade, Power Bars, donuts, Cliff Bars, french fries, Snickers, Twix, apples, Pringles, chocolate croissants, regular croissants, ham and cheese croissants, and other various assorted pastries. See attached pictures. We also might have eaten a few bag of Funyuns® brand Onion Flavored Rings by Frito-Lay. When you get to a point where you’re burning 5000 to 6000 Kcals on a single ride, that burger will barely make a dent in the system.



As far as what the typical Tour cyclist eats take a look at the cooking videos we’ve prepared for an idea.

Allen

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I've heard different theories on the best way to lean up before races and burn the most fat. Is it fact or fiction that you can burn more fat/e.g. lose more weight if you forego the pre-race "carb loading"?

regards
Joy

Joy, that's a spot on question during the TDF (Tour de France) season. Weight loss is an American obsession in large part because it's really difficult to successfully lose weight in our culture. We can't all train for the TDF, a men's-only race unfortunately where being your cycling leanest pays off in spades. The short answer to your question is "fiction". The longer answer is that there is racing benefit to load up on complex carbohydrates as a pre-race regimen. I recommend that you try it and see if it works for you as well. In exercise science labs, those that ingest carbohydrates prior to racing competition increase their endurance at high intensities longer than those who do not.

Thanks for the question,
SALLY

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I’ve been riding with a power tap for about 6 months now. My average wattage per 50 mile outing has increased, but I would like to better understand some of the nuances of the software and how they can help me improve. Do I need a coach to better interpret the data?

Thanks,
Rod

A good coach will always help, but I think you can do a lot on your own by paying careful attention to your PowerTap data on and off the bike. In the end, it’s all about paying attention to the feedback the meter gives you. But that only works if you spend just as much time listening to yourself and staying aware of how you feel relative to the numbers. With respect to the software, there really are only 4 major things to worry about. The first is duration, the second is your average power for the ride versus the average power when just pedaling (i.e., power without zeros, which your PowerTap can be set up to calculate), the third is the time you spend in distinct power zones, and the fourth is your peak power output for distinct time frames. In addition to elevating your average power output for your 50 mile outing, see if you are also improving for distinct time frames within that 50 mile duration. Finally, by using your PowerTap in key events or over courses you’d like to improve, you can use the software to better understand the demands of those courses or events and use that information to goal set for the future. In the end, however, remember that the meter is just a measuring tool. While we can do a lot as individuals with those measurements, it never helps to work with others.

Allen

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Thursday, July 26, 2007

I hear riders such as Levi saying that he cannot go with the accelerations of riders like Contador and Rasmussen. Is there something about a person's physiology or training that allows them to be able to accelerate then recover better than other riders?

Brian

Levi can accelerate but the cost to him is much greater than for riders like Rassumsan and Contador. I think everyone's physiology is a bit different and some time training these efforts can help a rider get better at these. I think that riders that spend many years training the steady state system like Dave Zabriskie train there bodies to go steady at a very hard rate. It is much more difficult to train these types of accelerations while at threshold if you are not training with people that can throb you when you at your limit. It is very difficult to simulate these types of efforts so I think this tour will help Levi to improve in this area. Some people are naturally better at these types of efforts and that is evident with Contador. Can Levi improve with doing sprints while at threshold, yes, will he ever be able to accelerate on climbs like Contador, probably not. A key factor to being able to accelerate like that is to be under your maximum when you are climbing with the group. If you are at your limit no matter what type of pop you have in your legs they cannot physically go any faster. So improving your climbing power as well will give you a bit more to make those jumps when you need to. The last factor is being the right weight. It is much easier to accelerate a smaller lighter mass. This is made more obvious on the steepest part of the climbs.

ciao
Robbie

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Hopefully this question is not too technical….why are all the riders in this year’s Tour wearing white shoes? Could it be to keep their feet cooler?

John --California

John,

White is the hot new color for everything in the peleton. Shoes are no different. The white shoes are the "in" thing right now, and I do not think there is anything special in regard to performance that makes white a better color. Style baby- Style

ciao
Robbie

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Good Morning! My question is related to riding lots of miles and getting a saddle sore. I am battling a saddle sore now while trying to prepare for the Logan, UT to Jackson, WY race (LOTOJA) in September. I am switching saddles (having a hard time finding one that works for me) in order to help but wondered if there are any specific remedies to help cure a saddle sore once you have one. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you!
Brenda

This answer co-authored by guest-writer an expert at dealing with saddle-sores, Mike Freidman from the Slipstream/Chipotle Professional Cycling Team...


Brenda,

First things first:

1. Don't be embarrassed about this subject because it happens, and that's the way it is. Some people are lucky and ride without issues, and others like us are some of the unlucky ones.

2. You emailed the right people. I call myself the "Saddle Sore Avenger"--well it's more of a nickname these days that some people have given me.

3. I'm going to be fairly blunt in subject matter because it's not a funny situation. It's taking time away from what you need to be doing...TRAINING, so don't be offended if I say something off-hand.

I've spent the past year and a half dealing with saddle issues. I've spent over $1,000 dollars on various saddles, creams, soaps, consultations etc. Not to mention mental anguish, lost training time, and odd dinner conversations with my teammates. I will help you as best as I can in hope that you won't have to deal with what I ultimately ended up doing, which was surgery...leading to far greater complications.

Without knowing details such as what type of saddle you are using, what type of riding you are doing, and what the weather is like where you train, I can offer these remedies for you to try:

1. Saddle may be too high. Try lowering it a few millimeters.

2. Purchase some form of an antibacterial soap. Wash normally, but don't start taking 7 showers a day and washing with the special soap because it will begin to dry out the skin by dissolving your natural skin oils. I've been turned onto a liquid facial soap called, "Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash". It contains Tea Tree oil and Awapuhi, both of which have been shown to be antibacterial.

3. Avoid shaving in that area. Shaving is one of the worst ways to aggravate an already sensitive area. It promotes irritation, inflammation of the hair follicles, as well as bacterial growth.

4. If time allows, take a few days off the bike. It won't make or break you too much, but during this time, do something you normally don't get the chance to do while training. Maybe read a good book, stretch more, go to a yoga class--whatever floats your boat.

5. If you are forced to ride, try using Assos chamois cream. A local bike shop should carry the product. It helps aid in numbing the area and making it feel cool in temperature as you ride along.

All the best,

Mike Friedman THE SADDLE SORE AVENGER


Additional advice from Allen Lim, PhD...

Brenda,

Some additional comments I'll add to Mike's. First, make sure your shorts are clean. You might want to use a gentle bleaching solution that won't ruin the shorts. Also turn you shorts inside out and expose the chamois to sunlight. This will help kill bacteria.

I might also recommend using Desitin which is a cream used for diaper rash. This sometimes helps with a saddle sore that has already taken hold.

Finally, you might want to try some baby powder to help keep things happy down there when you're off the bike. Mike, however, is ultimately the guy who knows more about this than anyone alive. He literally has tried everything.

That all said, you may also want to talk to your personal physician. In many cases, we end up putting our guys on antibiotics for a period of time to help with the risk for infection. Sometimes, this is enough to help clear things up.

Allen

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007

I’ve been using Power Taps (on my road and mountain bikes) along with Cycling Peaks software for over a year now with a coach with great success.

As you probably know, Cycling Peaks provides a Normalized Power along with Average Power. Usually, the Normalized Power is much higher than the Average Power since it addresses the variation in terrain (e.g., 240 Watts average, but 280 Watts normalized).

So I was wondering if Saris is planning on adding a Normalized Power display option to the Power Tap computer.

And if I had a Normalized Power display, would it help me more accurately set my power levels on road training rides (using the Normalized Power data from my mountain bike races)?

Thanks!
Allen

Allen,

I’m not exactly sure of the exact algorithm that CyclingPeaks uses to calculate “normalized” power, but I can tell you that average power output when pedaling (excluding zeros) explains more than 95% of the variability in CyclingPeaks calculated version of “normalized” power. Said another way, “normalized” power is pretty much the average power output without the zeros. The important distinction is that power output when pedaling is a real number while “normalized” power is calculated from an unknown algorithm. And since the PowerTap computer can already be set up to give average power excluding zeros, it is unlikely that future versions of the PowerTap computer will also give a “normalized” power from a backside calculation. So my advice would be not to worry about normalized power and to set up your PowerTap to give you your average power excluding zeros.

That all said, the notion or premise of a “normalized” power is a very good one. In a big picture sense, it’s the idea that we should be able to get one gestalt value that better explains our potential response to any given bout of exercise, in the same way that the “wind chill factor” or “heat index” can better describe how cold or hot we will feel in a given environment compared to temperature alone.

With that in mind, training load can be described by three major factors which include, 1) duration, 2) intensity in the form of an absolute or relative power output (i.e., actual watts or % of some reference wattage), and by 3) the distribution or pattern of power (i.e., the time spent in different intensity zones). Currently, there are innumerable ways to create a training score that take these three factors into account, and I am sure that future versions of the Power Agent software will contain various formulas that users can chose to create an overall training score.

It’s important to remember, however, that a training score is very different from our response to training. In the end, it’s the relationship between our training score, load, or dose and our innumerable physiological and psychological responses that give us a complete training picture. And since there are so many factors that can effect how we feel on a given day, it’s always best to evaluate how we feel by asking ourselves how we feel, not by assuming a mathematical model can do it for us. So regardless of the training metrics you end up choosing to use, never forget to pair those numbers with your own daily experiences.

Allen

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Additional information from Andrew Coggan, originator of the Normalized Power calculation:

Dr. Lim indicated that there was a very high correlation (i.e., R2 = 0.95) between average power calculated excluding zero values and normalized power as calculated using the algorithm that I first publically described in detail back in 2003 and which has since appeared in several print publications (e.g., a chapter that I wrote for USA Cycling’s Level 2 Coaching Manual) and been discussed at several scientific meetings (e.g., the American College of Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting in 2006). While that may have been true for the particular data set that he examined, it cannot be said to be true in general – in fact, given the differing ways the two values are calculated, there is no a priori reason to expect a close correlation between them.

As an example, consider a powermeter file from a technical criterium, during which the cyclist’s power is quite variable due to coasting through the turns then sprinting to catch the pack, but with each “burst” being limited in duration due to the short distance between corners. In this case, average power including zero values and normalized power – which is calculated by first smoothing the data using a 30 s rolling average – will often be similar, but average power excluding zero values will be much higher. Conversely, consider the typical interval training session, during which a cyclist’s power output varies tremendously but also during which they usually “soft pedal” instead of coast during the recovery periods. In such a situation, average power calculated with or without zero values included will be comparable, but normalized power will be significantly higher due to the non-linear (i.e., 4th order) weighting used in the algorithm.

Given the above, the close correlation that Dr. Lim observed between average power with zero values excluded and normalized power likely stems from the fact that 1) he combined data from individuals of differing performance ability (thus overestimating the true strength of the relationship), and 2) the majority of the files that he included in his analysis apparently came from longer training rides and races, during which power is inherently less variable and during which the primary factor “dragging down” the average power with zero values included are periods of coasting (e.g., long descents). If instead he had analyzed a wide variety of files from a single individual, then it is unlikely that he would have find much, if any, correlation between average power without zero values and normalized power. For example, analysis of all road training sessions and races performed by one elite cyclist this season reveals a non-significant R2 value of 0.11, i.e., average power excluding zero values and normalized power had only 11% of variance in common.

About Dr. Coggan:

Andrew R. Coggan, Ph.D., is an internationally-recognized exercise physiologist who has authored or coauthored over 60 peer-reviewed scientific publications on topics such as the effects of carbohydrate feedings on cycling performance, the physiological adaptations to endurance exercise training, and the effects of aging on muscle metabolism during exercise. His work has had an significant impact on the field on the field of exercise physiology, with Dr. Coggan’s publications having been cited over 2,300 times in total and nine of his papers qualifying as Citation Classics (i.e., cited more than 100 times each).

In addition to these professional endeavors, Dr. Coggan has been a competitive cyclist for over 30 y, and still races in the master ranks. He has therefore also authored/coauthored a number of cycling-related lay articles, book chapters, manuals, and a book, and lectures frequently on behalf of USA Cycling to coaches and athletes. In particular, he is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s leading experts on the training of cyclists using data obtained with bicycle-mounted powermeters, and is the originator of the normalized power concept. In 2006, Dr. Coggan was honored for his work in this area by being named a Finalist for the US Olympic Committee’s Doc Councilman Sport Science Award.

When training with power, is it better to watch one's average power output or the current power output? On the same subject, when racing, is it better to use average power or current power?

Thanks,
Brooks --Florida

Brooks - The answer to your question really depends on the goal of your training ride. Cycling is an activity of continuous changes in pedaling resistance and the PowerTap is providing instantaneous feedback. Therefore current watts represent on the spot ever changing resistances and average watts represent the middling work over that period of time. Current watts is instant and average watts factors in changing terrains, bursts of effort, times of not pedaling and even the stop & go of stop signs.

If your training goal is based on sustaining work, efficiency, splits and pacing then focus on average watts. For racing, ensure that the average power goal represents the average power you could sustain assuming your power is would be constant, instead of with the affected variations. This is known as normalized power. If your training goal is based on generating/identifying a specific amount of work, an acceleration or break away, repeatable power efforts or maximum intensity, then focus on current watts.

Angie

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I am a triathlete and have recently started training with a Power Tap and have question about intervals and terrain.

The roads near my house are gently rolling, nothing severe, but just constant 50-100 feet up and down. From the limited amount of interval work I have done when riding from my house, I have seen that it is hard to maintain power in a constant range even when focusing strictly on power and ignoring speed. For specific workouts, ie. 2 x 20 minute threshold intervals, would I be better off from a training standpoint to do these on a fluid trainer or just concentrate on average power for the interval. I would much rather ride on the road, but I don't have any problems riding on a trainer if I will be better served. Thanks.

Jim

Jim,

I would stick to the road. Although the rolling terrain makes it harder to maintain a steady power output as long as your overall averages are where you want them to be you should be fine if not better than if you did that same average on a trainer. In the end, learning how to handle variations in terrain will be more specific to real world races. If you can, try pedaling at a higher cadence to keep the torque oscillations low. This may help to smooth out your power over the terrain.

Allen

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Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Reading a recent interview with Chris Boardman, he said that one of his major limiters for Grand Tours was his inability to recover. Is this purely genetic, or are there things one can do to help improve recovery ? My biggest weakness has always been my inability to recover quickly.

Thanks
Justin

Justin,

Naturally, I would assume that there is a major genetic component to how well someone can recover from day to day. I would imagine that at least in Grand Tours the guys with more slow twitch fiber are likely to recover faster. In addition, I’ve noticed that riders with stronger immune systems who recover more quickly from small wounds or infections also recover faster in stage racing. That all said, there are some studies showing that identical twins do not always recover from similar levels of muscle damage in the same time frame. So it’s likely that there are more than just genetics at play. Long story short, I have no idea what determines how well someone recovers. I can, however, give you the kitchen sink recipe we throw at our riders.

Sleep: First and foremost the most important thing a rider can do to help recover is to sleep. This, of course, depends on a lot. All I can tell you is that the more sleep you can get the better. At Grand Tours this can be really really hard. To help facilitate this process we use everything from eye masks, ear plugs, warm-milk, acupuncture, various forms of “self” help, and in some rare cases sleeping meds to get guys as much sleep as possible. Generally speaking, if they aren’t riding or eating, they’re sleeping.

Food: Food timing, food composition, and food prep is an entire book in and of itself. Long story short, eat as much as possible as soon as possible as often as possible. If you’re trying to lose weight, then watch what you eat when you train, but eat everything you can find when you race.

Liquid: As a general rule, try not to ever lose 5% of your body weight in any given training session and make sure you drink enough to replace any lose weight from exercise.

Massage: At races the guys get about 30 to 60 minutes of massage each evening. They say it helps. I say it would cost most of us a lot of time and money.

Stretching: Because they can’t waste any extra energy, when the guys are getting massage the soigneur will also stretch them. I’ve seen some guys stretch themselves, but this is rare. That said, consistent stretching will help, inconsistent stretching will not.

Acupuncture: I’ve seen the skinny needles do wonders.

Ice Baths: I don’t have much experience here, but a lot of riders tell me it really works. Google it and let me know what you find.

Compression Socks: These are really embarrassing to wear, but every pro cyclist I know has a pair.

Hypnosis: Sometimes it’s all in the head.

Lay Around All Day After Training: This is kind of self explanatory.

Roving Physical Therapy Clinic with Cold Lasers, Ultrasound, E-Stim, and a staff of Doctors, Therapists, and Interns devoted only to you: How cool would that be.

Get a Pro Contract: None of this is really possible unless you’ve got a pro contract, are independently wealthy, or are living off your parents. If any apply, then you’ve got no excuse, except for maybe genetics.

Finally, it’s important to realize that everyone has a hard time recovering after a hard day of training. In the end, a lot of the difference between guys really comes down to their relative fitness coming into an event. The stronger you are, the less damaging any given race will be, and your relative rate of recovery will improve. With respect to training, I’ve never worked with a rider who was able to do more than about 3 days really hard. Over the course of a week, most riders I know need at least 1 day of rest for every 2 days hard on the bike. Over the course of a few weeks, most riders need at least 1 week pretty easy for every 2 weeks of heavy load. And over the course of a year, I tend to find that with a healing off-season, things to balance out at 1 easy day for every hard day.

One other comment....there is no such thing as over-training just under-resting. So as important as it is to train hard, it’s more important that you take as long as you need to recover from that training. In the end, you’ll be better off not forcing that side of the process.

Allen

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I have a sensitive stomach and have a hard time on long rides not bonking. My stomach does not handle jells or gu’s very well and eating big solid foods makes me feel as if I have over-eaten.

Is there a balance of foods and or a timing of eating I should be aware of? Should I eat foods in a certain order to help my digestion?

Jared

Jared,

You could ask 15 different experts and you would get 15 different answers to this question. So, I’ll give you one from my 30-years of racing experience and let you figure out what works for you. Irritable stomach syndrome is common in racing and hard training conditions. It is caused by multiple factors that together lead to gastric distress. There are different types of solutions that depend on the causes, and it is all very complicated. My suggestion after telling you to experiment is to recommend “liquid food”. This is what they feed hospital patients when they can’t eat solid food. The reason it works for me (and I emphasize that it works for my metabolic make-up) is that it is digested quickly, bio-engineered to be palatable to taste and easy to injest, and it is packed with high caloric dense contents. One 8 ounce cup is worth 300-400 calories. There are lots of different brands and the source of the calories varies greatly so read the labels. You can purchase at any drug store and most grocery stores in America. Several of the brands are Nutriment, Exceed, etc. And, finally, timing of ingestion of food, your current diet, what you eat during your performance, and your genetic make up all play a large role in your response in these conditions.

SALLY EDWARDS

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Why do the riders go on such long rides during the rest day? I have read that riders do everything they can to stay off their feet when not riding. So, why the 3 hours training ride on rest day?

Daniel

Dan,

Riders like to stay in a rhythm when they are on there rest days. Some riders like to ride longer some do not. Often times they like to go easy to keep there legs active, but they do not hammer, and they can give there brain a rest, and they just ride to stay loose. They often do a couple short efforts to keep there legs awake. 3 hours is not a big day when you are doing 4-6 hours each day. It is like a basketball player doing a shoot around before the game. They want to stay loose. The rest day in cycling is very similar.

ciao
Robbie

Monday, July 23, 2007

I'm very new to the cycling world. Getting involved in triathlons, as a beginner I need a better understanding on heart zones, would you recommend that I use a heart rate monitor first? Or should I dive right into a power meter and learning about Power Zones?

Maria

To achieve the most effective training, measure your work and monitor how your body responds to the work. Training with power is the surest way to take the guesswork out of your training as power is the accurate measurement of your work. Power makes the bike move, not heart rate. Your power output (work) is what drives the various physiological responses, like heart rate. Since there are so many variables that determine heart rate, the learning curve to training with heart rate zones is by far, more challenging. However, since power represents a direct and immediate measurement of every pedal stroke, using power zones will give you instantaneous and accurate understanding of the cycling world you have entered. The learning curve is quickly reduced and uncomplicated.

In order to know how your body responds to training, you will want to measure your work and monitor your heart rate and perceived exertion. Since the PowerTap computer is equipped with a heart rate monitor, dive right into the PowerTap, as you are getting both the power meter and heart rate monitor. This is the surest way to enter the cycling world with your eyes wide open.

Angie

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Hi

With all technology available for today top cycling pros (carbon fiber, power meters, aerodinamics, training methods, HR monitors, etc), how would the champs from the past (TDF) perform and compare against? Is there enough data (distance, speed, power output) to make such analysis?

Bruno --Brazil

Bruno,

By my calculations and based on available data on VO2 max, LT Power, and gross mechanical efficiency, here’s how they would finish in a modern Tour:

1. Lance Armstrong
2. Miguel Indurain
3. Greg Lemond
4. Floyd Landis
5. Bernard Hinault
6. Laurent Fignon
7. Eddy Merckx


That all said, there probably isn’t enough data to really predict things as it takes a lot more than just big VO2, LT, and efficiency to win. It takes a lot of luck and even more heart. Your guess is as good as mine.

Allen

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How different are watts/kg requirement for mountain bike racing?

I'm using a PowerTap Pro on my road bike on a trainer and on the road, but I am preparing for the wilderness 101 which is 60/40 fire roads/single track with 10000 feet of climbs.

thanks
Aaron

Although the contribution of forces resisting movement in MTB racing are very different than road racing, in the end, the differences between what a pro-road racer can do compared to a pro-mountain biker for equal time frames isn’t much different despite major differences in speed relative to power. So the watts/kg requirements for MTB racing really depend on how competitive you want to be. For a 1 to 2 hour duration, the physiological limit for humans is about 5.5 watts/kg. If you can handle that for that time frame you’ll be competitive with anyone out there.

Allen

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Sunday, July 22, 2007

I know a watt is a watt but is there a reason why I am able to generate the same wattage for a longer period of time when I am on the road than when on my indoor trainer or is it all just in my head?

Brendan --Massachusetts

In general, you will likely notice that you produce a bit more power outside than riding indoors on a trainer. Although there shouldn’t be a major discrepancy, there a various causes that influence the reduced power output indoors vs outdoors.

Outdoors, various terrains will require different riding positions, gear ratios, leg geometry, leverage and amount of torque. Indoors, the terrain remains the same, eliminating the need to constantly change position, leverage, gears and torque.

Indoors you rarely coast and it is likely that you are constantly pedaling, whereas outside you spend a lot of time not pedaling due to coasting or stop signs. The constant load and consistent pedal strokes indoors can cause muscle to fatigue sooner, suggesting less power to the pedals over time.

Outdoors, especially when climbing, the rider has no choice but to produce a given power output to move forward. It is natural for the rider to produce the essential power; therefore the rider doesn’t have to concentrate as much due to the constant resistance on each stroke. Since indoors simulates riding a habitual flat road, it also requires a heightened focus to keep the power up. With that said, this heightened focus provides a more controlled training opportunity.

Outside a rider can move their body or bike side to side and vary the force on the handle bars. This allows the rider to transfer energy more effectively, maximizing pedal pressure and power output. Inside, the stationary position discourages side to side movements and varying force on the handle bars.

It is likely that you will notice a slightly higher power output outside. However, the power difference should not be considered a weakness, but simply a measurement of two different activities. A watt is still a watt and work is still work.

Angie Sturtevant

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Sport drink vs sport gel – is there any particular virtue of one over the other?

Kate

Sally Says:
There really isn’t a big difference but there’s a simple way for you to find out. Test it on yourself and measure your response to each. Go on a long, easy Zone 3 (70-80% of your maximum heart rate or 80-90% of your Threshold heart rate) and try them at intervals of 30-60 minutes apart. Which do you feel provides you with energy and offsets the feeling of fatigue?

Then, you’ll know the answer – a sports drink or a gel (that you need to consume water when you take).

Also, check the number of different chemicals in the drinks – short chain glucose polymers are the fastest to absorb.

Thanks, SALLY

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How much and for how long should a rider hydrate when he/she has a long (i.e. 80 mile) hilly hot ride coming up on a Saturday? Is water enough to hydrate with or should we be using some type of commercial drink?

thank you.
- Kathleen

Kathleen,

Depends on the heat, humidity, altitude, the power you wish to sustain and your gross mechanical efficiency on the bicycle. That said, I’m not going to do math. What I will say is that you don’t want to lose more than 5% of your body weight so this means you need to drink as much as you can handle. Probably about 1 to 2 bottles per hour. In addition, there is no situation where drinking water alone is better than a 3 to 5% carbohydrate/electrolyte solution like Gatorade. To figure out the percentage 5% is equal to 5 grams per 100 ml of fluid and a standard bottle is about 500 ml. So a 5% solution would be about 25 grams of carbohydrate or 100 Kcals per bottle. Standard Gatorade is about 6%. Finally, if you can’t stomach drinking and you still feel really hot pour as much ice cold water over your head, arms, back, and legs. Finally, weigh yourself before your ride this Saturday and after your ride. Depending on how much weight you’ve lost and how many bottles you drank, you should be able to calculate how much more or less you need next time with the goal being to not lose much if any weight and to never lose more than 5% of body weight.

Allen

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Saturday, July 21, 2007

What type of training workouts do I need to do to increase my Threshold Power?

Keith -- Wisconsin

Boosting threshold power requires training all aspects and cannot be singled out into just a few workouts. In practical terms, you need to increase your highest sustainable effort or the highest amount of work you can sustain before lactate begins to pile up in your blood. It reflects the balance between lactate production and removal, meaning it is the highest workload at which you can still nourish the muscles with O2 and remove lactate for energy production. As shown in the diagram, the goal for everyone is to drive your threshold as far ‘to the right’ as possible. This will require high intensity work to build strength and power PLUS high mileage to build endurance and stamina to carry on the effort.



Focus on progressive aerobic endurance training to increase your training volume (ride, ride, ride, ride…) By putting miles in the saddle, you will increase ATP production, fatty acid oxidation & lactate resynthesis, improve O2 delivery & lactate removal, influence slow twitch muscle fibers and build muscular endurance (build strong, long lasting muscles).

You will then need to determine your threshold power, to determine the amount of power (height) you’re able to produce and how long you can hang on to that effort (width). I call it the height & width of your power threshold.

To increase with width of your power threshold, incorporate a weekly interval session of 2 sets of the duration, progressively increasing how long you hold on to that effort by appx 10% per week. For example, if your threshold power is 275-300 watts and you can hold the power output for 10:00, you will perform 2 X 10:00 @ 275-300 watts (recover at least 10:00 – 20:00 in between sets) during week one. Week two you will perform 2 x 11:00; week three perform 2 x 12:00; and so on. This maximal steady state training will influence your power threshold stamina as you are accumulating more work time.

To increase the height of your power threshold, incorporate a weekly interval session of 3-5 sets of the beginning duration (width) from above, progressively increasing watts by 2-3% weekly. For example, if you can hold the threshold power of 275-300 watts for 10:00, you will perform 3-5 x 10:00 @ 275-300 watts (recover at least 10:00 in between sets) during week one. Week two you will perform 3-5 x 10:00 @ 281-306 watts; week three perform 3-5 x 286-312 watts; and so on. These intervals educate cells to tolerate higher levels of work.

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How fast do you have to go for aero wheels to make a significant difference?

Thanks,
Ed

Ed,

For a 154 lb heavy rider at 5’9” tall on a standard 15 lb road bike and assuming the aero wheels lower the total aerodynamic drag by about 3%, at 15 mph you would save 2 watts, at 20 mph you would save 4 watts, at 25 mph you would save 7 watts, and at 30 mph you would save 13 watts. Of note, they are all significant differences. In terms of what’s practical, I’d say at about 20 mph it starts to matter.

Allen

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Hi! Thanks very much for the great info! I have a question regarding your video on staying cool while riding:

You mentioned cold water, salt, and carbs are the best combination. While this is nice to know, it doesn't help too much when it comes time to mix things in my water bottle....how much salt? How many carbs? What kind of carbs? You see, I just end up filling the thing with water because that's what I know. If you could provide specifics, that would be wonderful! Then I can actually USE the information and hopefully improve my cycling!

Anita

Anita,

Gatorade is perfect. Buy a bottle and check out the back label. In my experience it really is optimal.

Allen

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Friday, July 20, 2007

I run the Garmin Edge 305 and the PowerTap on my bike and I noticed I get two extremely different results for calories/joules used. I know that the Garmin is basing their results off of an equation (time & distance), where as the powertap is supposed to be giving me true kilojoules used. But the Garmin will typically show me nearly double of what the powertap shows me. Any idea why?

Michael --California

Michael,

There are a lot of different forces that resist motion on a bicycle, and it’s assumptions about these forces that the Garmin is using to compute energy. These forces include gravity (hills), aerodynamics (wind), rolling (tires, road surface, & pressure), frictional (chain, bearings), and kinetic (forces associated with accelerations). In my experience, it’s hard to make good guesses about the real constants for each of these factors as there are so many things from your body weight, height, type of bicycle, position, tires, wind, sudden fluctuations in terrain, and even riding style that can affect your actual power for a given speed. That all said, I think your Garmin is probably over-estimating energy (Kjoules) because it’s not taking into account periods of time when you might be soft pedaling or not pedaling at all. For example, your Garmin wouldn’t know if you were pedaling or not pedaling down a fast descent and at those speeds, the estimated power output if their algorithm doesn’t quickly pick up that you are descending might be extremely high when it is in fact zero. I wonder also if your Garmin is set up for running and not cycling. This might be an easy fix. In the end, the PowerTap is indeed giving you the true energy transferred to the bicycle and doesn’t rely on a single assumption. So I would trust the PowerTap and use that as a point of reference for dialing in your Garmin.

Allen

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What kind of RPMs do the TdF competitors maintain for those many hours? I've been trying to improve mine. Currently the biggest slice of the pie is 80-100, instead of the 100-120. Should I be striving to get above that 100 number? Thx!

Sydney

When pedaling, Floyd took about 450,000 pedal strokes during the Tour de France. This puts him at an overall cadence of 85 rpm if you include time not pedaling. When pedaling, Floyd averaged about 90 to 95 rpm with a range of about 60 at a low to 130 at a high. For the most part, cycling efficiency is a function of both power and cadence. We tend to be more efficient at higher power outputs at higher cadences and more efficient at lower power outputs at lower cadences. So unless you can hold over 300 watts for an hour at a time, I would say that you probably don’t need to worry about keeping things above 100 rpm unless you are just trying to get a more fluid stroke. For most riders, optimal efficiency can be found somewhere between 70 to 90 rpm. That said, learning how to spin fast, makes spinning slower a whole lot easier.

Allen

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Allen,

In my years of cycle racing, I've heard again and again the importance of a good cool down. From mentors to coaches, they've all shoved me on rollers or a trainer for 15 minutes after my races. Plus, they've hammered the point that this was especially important if I had an event coming up the next day. Here is where my confusion lies--the tour de france is THE hardest race out there involving many, many consecutive days, and I never see guys spinning down at the end of a stage. Are they hiding bikes in team buses? Or is it not quite as crucial as I was lead to believe?

Cheers, -Brian -- California

For anything over 2 hours, probably not the crucial. Just get off the bike and eat. In my experience the longest cool down I’ve ever seen a pro do was 3 hours at a coffee shop. But on the track...the cool down is imperative.

Allen

Thursday, July 19, 2007

I'm currently training for an Ironman event and am trying to focus on improving my endurance and speed on the bike. I tend to prefer to do most of my rides indoors. I do several 1-2.5 hour rides on a trainer with the aid of a training DVD. I do a longer ride (5+ hrs) on the road during the weekend. For the shorter and more intense workouts I feel I get a better workout when I'm on the trainer rather than on the road. I don't have to worry about slowing for traffic signals or watching out for errant vehicles. Instead I can focus on specific timed intervals and intensities. The help of the training DVD is a big plus too. Since I'm a triathlete I don't need to train to ride in pace line. I don't have the luxury of training with power (yet), and so I focus my indoor training on my cadence, heart rate, and perceived effort. Is there any harm in doing most of my rides indoors.. In other words, is there a limit I should place on the time I spend training indoors?

Mike --New Jersey

Mike:

Training indoors on a CycleOps trainer, rollers or indoor cycle for one hour, is equivalent to approximately 90 minutes of riding on the road. Riding indoors provides a contollable environment, providing the perfect venue for training without interruptions, steady state training, trying new techniques & equipment, dialing in on specific power zones & training during nasty weather.

With that said, indoor training is not providing specificity of riding the road, as the actual external factors & correlating responses are missing. Since you will be performing your Ironman on the road (not on a trainer) it is critical to train your body based on the actual demands Ironman will require. If you want your body to adapt positively to the Ironman demands, you will need to train those demands. Wind, undulating terrain, heat & varying road conditions all require specific demands and cannot be simulated indoors.

Also, since heart rate is a response to the external factors, your heart rate indoors will be altered outdoors. Indoors is a perfect place to train with power, as work is work. However heart rate can be dissimilar indoors to outdoors.

Use indoor training to focus on controlled training, i.e. cadence drills, steady state efforts & specific intervals. Then get outside on similar Ironman terrain a smuch as possible. Your body can only do what you train it to do.

Angie

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Why are there no women in the Tour De France? Is it strictly a men's race by origin and bylaws? Or is it the fact that most female riders don't generate the required power output to be successful? Is there a comparable event in women's cycling? Regards, Dieskau

Dieskau,

As a rule, men and women do not race together in UCI sanctioned races. That said, there is a women’s version of the Tour de France called the Tour de Feminine or La Grande Boucle Feminine (the Great Loop). This year’s race was 5 stages and was held from June 20th to June 24th. With only 5 stages, the race hardly compares to the men’s race, though the women did race over many of the same climbs that the men do in the Tour de France such as the Col d’Aspin and Col de Tourmalet. The last two years, the women’s Tour was won by Nicole Cooke from the UK. No Americans competed this year. In the 80’s when the women’s Tour first started it was a much larger race lasting two weeks and finishing in Paris alongside the men’s race. Of note, the first women’s Tour was actually won by Mary Ann Martin from the United States in 1984. For whatever, reason the women’s Tour has become smaller and smaller every year and on the women’s professional circuit has become eclipsed by much bigger races such as the Tour de L’Aude in France (May 18-27, 9 stages, won by Susanne Ljungskog from Sweden), and the Giro d’Italia Feminille in Italy which was just last week (July 6-15, 8 stages, won by Edita Pucinskaite from Lithuania). Having started my career in cycling running a professional women’s cycling team, I can tell you that the women’s racing is just as exciting if not more exciting than the men’s racing. Unfortunately, there simply isn’t the same level of sponsorship dollars or media interest on the women’s side. It’s this social and economic dilemma that has kept women’s cycling in the foreground, not their physiology or power.

Allen

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It seems like Dave Zabriskie would be better in the mountains than he is because of his high lactate threshold and low weight (despite his height). What is holding him back from being a GC contender?

Michael --Illinois

Dave does not like to suffer like the rest. Suffering is trainable, and he is working hard on pushing his pain barrier further and further away. He also can achieve maximul power in his TT position most people can get more power out of their legs climbing than time trialing. In David's case he probably climbs with the same power as he time trials. He is getting better and look for his climbing to improve over the next couple of years as he learns to suffer like the rest.

ciao
Robbie

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Aloha PowerTour,

I have just started training with a power meter and in just playing around with it it seems it has helped immensely.

My question for you all, and it may be a vague one because I know there are so many variables to all training, is when training with a power meter which is more important to watch or keep steady, power or heart rate? I know that it also may depend on what type of training is being done, but would there be a general guide as to which is more important for better gains in improvement. Would it be better to let the heart elevate/decrease to keep the desired power range, or increase/decrease the power output to keep the heart rate in it's zone?

Mahalo
Jakob

You are correct….there are many variables to training. This is what makes training with power so awesome. With all of the variables; work is work and a watt is a watt, which isn’t really effected by internal and external causes. When talking about power, your question is not vague, as power (watts) is the accurate measurement of your work. Your power output (work) is what drives the various physiological responses, like heart rate, ventilation, core temperature and perceived exertion. Power makes the bike move, not heart rate. The PowerTap accurately measures the work and heart rate “monitors” how fast the heart is pumping blood to do the work.

Yes, there is a linear correlation. As you produce more work, your heart rate increases. However, there are so many variables that determine how the heart pumps blood . . . dehydration, temperature, excitement, nutrition, fitness, fatigue, caffeine, medications…blah, blah, blah. Power ‘measures’ and heart rate ‘monitors’. Therefore, to achieve the most effective training, measure your work and monitor how your body is responding to the work.

I like to compare it to lifting weights in the gym. You know how much work you are doing because the weights have been accurately measured (and stamped for your convenience). You can measure the rate at which work is done, by multiplying the actual weight x repetitions. You know that if you can squat 3 sets of 12 reps of 100 lbs this week, you would need to increase either the reps or weight next week to achieve a new level of strength. It is easy to keep an accurate record and track your fitness.

Use the heart rate monitor then to determine how efficient the ticker is. You know that you have a more efficient pump, if the heart rate decreases over time, while doing the same amount of work. This shows that the heart muscle has become stronger and can contract more forcefully. However, if the heart rate increases over time, this would be a sign of over training, illness, fatigue, etc.

Below is data from PowerTap software. This rider performed two intervals. The first interval was focused on sustaining a heart rate within a 5 beat window (130-135 bpm). Note that although they held the heart rate, the power starts out just above 170 watts and then gradually decreases with time…..finishing up between 130-140 watts. What you learn from this is that when you train by sustaining ‘response’ (heart rate), the work decreases.



Now, check out the second interval. The rider’s goal was to sustain work (watts) within 20 watts. Note that although they sustained the work, the heart rate gradually increased 20 heart beats. This demonstrates that as the rider sustained the work, the heart had to pump faster (for whatever reason).



In summary, training with power is the surest way to take the guesswork out of your training.

Angie

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Hello,

I've seen some power files from TdF riders and noticed, that during the most time of the stages they generate very small power due to drafting in the middle of peleton. Like for example 150-200W for over 40 km/h. Does it mean that these few riders at the very front of the group riding that fast have to put say twice the power - as they would ride alone? Mirek --Poland

Mirek,

On average, drafting directly behind a rider can decrease power by about 38%. I have found that this goes up a little bit in the 3rd and 4th position to about 40% and 42%, respectively. In the middle upper end of the pack where a rider is completely surrounded on all sides, I've seen savings between 45 to 50% depending on the speed and wind conditions. You don't save as much in tail winds compared to head winds. So you're right, the guys in the front riding at the same speed are putting almost, but not quite twice the power output. Typically, pulls at the front range from 300 to 450 watts, lasting from 1 minute to 10 minutes.

Allen

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My question and just fot curiosity: what are the higgest power outputs (in watts) that we can expect from today pro cyclists, in final sprints, in climbing and time trials. And how much watts and how long can those supermen sustain it?

Bruno --Brazil

Bruno,

Thanks for reading. To answer your question, the highest power outputs that we can expect from today's pro cyclists assuming an average body weight of 70 kg and height of 175 cm are as follows:

Final Sprints:
1500 -1750 watts for 1 to 5 seconds 1000-1250 watts for 5 to 15 seconds 750-1000 watts for 15 to 30 seconds

Climbing:
Average of 360 ± 40 watts for 20 to 60 minutes, repeated 3 to 5 times on a single stage.
Max of 420 watts for 45 minutes.

Time Trials:
400 to 420 watts for 1 hour.

Allen

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Hi Allen, you mention in your work the term "cycling efficiency", and having finished reading Floyd's book Positively False, he also describes going to see Andy Pruit to help him become more efficient with his pedal stroke. I have tried doing one leg pedalling drills and noticed my right leg was not nearly as proficient at pedalling a circle as was my left. I purchased power cranks and felt that they were helpful to me the few times I have used them so far. However, during the season when trying to work on intervals etc. it is very hard to keep these cranks going for sustained periods of time.

I was wondering if you could give me a few ideas on improving cycling efficiency. Also I would appreciate some of your insights as to what Floyd worked on, and what days may be better to use the power cranks, if at all. Thank-you Josie.

--JOSIE

The one legged pedaling drills with your power cranks are a good start. And yes, they are hard to keep going for sustained periods of time in season. A few additional things that you can do to continue to help with your pedal stroke are as follows:

1. Focus on using your hamstrings. A lot of the in efficiency in the pedal stroke occurs because we concentrate to much on pushing down rather than engaging our hamstrings. I find that if you just focus on using your hamstrings, the quads and gluts will naturally engage.

2. Try one legged pedaling drills with regular cranks on the rollers. These are really effective because if your stroke is sloppy you’ll crash. The guys I know with the best pedaling stroke can actually ride rollers with one leg with no hands. When you get to this point, you’re stroke is close to perfect.

3. Ride your mountain bike up sandy roads. Keeping traction on sandy roads is really difficult if you don’t have a really smooth pedal stroke. So this is a great off-season and sometimes mid-season tool we use to give feedback to the guys about their pedal stroke.

4. Make sure you’ve got a proper bike fit and cleat placement. Sometimes a bad or unequal stroke is simply due to bad cleat placement or a bad position on the bike. This is where going to see someone like Andy Pruitt can really help.

5. Spin..spin...spin...On your recovery days or even on your harder days, focus on keeping a higher cadence. You can also do high cadence drills once or twice a week to help. In some cases, I’ll have guys do 2 to 3 days in a row with one day off, for 1 to 2 weeks, of high cadence riding where they are forced to try and keep their cadence above 100 rpm the entire time.

As for Floyd, he just rode long and hard every day he could at cadences between 90 to 110 rpm. He’s got a really flawless spin as it is. Perhaps due to his earlier years as a mountain biker. Finally, I might suggest that you use the power cranks on recovery days when you can use your time to focus on skill rather than intensity or or early in a training cycle when you are fresh if you want to go harder.

Hope this helps.
Allen

Besides having an off day on Monday to help recover, what do the riders typically do from the time they finish the race until the time they go to sleep to help them recover and get ready for another day of grueling racing? Things I'm interested in are: Meals (how much food, what type of food), Therapy (medical attention, massages, hot tubs, ointments, etc), Team Activities (strategy planning meetings, public relations, sponsorship obligations), Sleep (how much sleep, accommodations).

Regards,
Dieskau --California

Dieskau,

For many of the riders the recovery process actually begins before they even get off the bike. If the riders are off the back or not contesting the lead, many will eat whatever race food they have left in their pockets in the final kilometers. Once off the bicycle, the first 30 to 60 minutes are most crucial for replenishment of food. Usually, we will have a variety of food ready in the team bus, ranging from sandwiches and recovery drinks to boiled salted potatoes with olive oil, parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar. Steamed sushi rice with eggs, olive oil, some liquid branched chain amino acids and a little bit of rice vinegar is also an easy, tasty and effective post recovery meal. Besides eating a solid 500 to 1500 Kcals of a mixed carbohydrate/protein/fat mixture (70/20/10%) immediately after getting off the bike, the next most important thing is for the riders to get out of their chamois and shower. Many of the team buses actually have showers in them and the riders can clean off even before they start to transport back to the hotel. When the riders get back to the hotel, typically 30 minutes to 2 hours later (depending on stage), there is more food waiting for them. Usually, it’s cereal, muesli, fruit, cookies, candy bars, and if the riders want pasta, rice, and eggs. In each room we also place about 2 liters of fluid for each rider which we encourage them to get down before dinner. My general rule of thumb is to make sure the guys are back to their pre-race weight by the time they go down for dinner. Soon after getting settled into the hotel, the riders will get a 30 minute to 60 minute massage and stretch. More if they are really hurting. After the massage, the guys will usually visit with the team physical therapist and chiro to get adjusted, taped, ultrasound-ed, zapped with lasers, or tended to in whatever way possible. The last two years on Phonak we had a doctor who was also an acupuncturist and he would often do a session with each of the guys just before or after dinner to help them recover. At around 7 to 8 pm the guys come down for a team dinner with enough food to feed a small army. Usually dinner starts with pasta and or rice with some sort of meat sauce and a salad. After that, the riders get a “regular” meal that is your basic entree dish with fish, steak, pork, vegetables, and more carbs — potatoes, a pasta and or rice dish. And then there’s desert. After dinner, there usually aren’t any planned team activities and the riders have maybe an hour or two to catch up with friends, family, email, or the journalist who has been waiting around all day for an interview. As far as sleep goes, this is probably the most critical aspect of recovery and this is where things also suck the most. The hotels the guys stay in during the Tour are really bad. We’re talking Motel 3 quality or worse. Last year, Quick Step, through their sponsorship with Innergetic beds, actually had a guy drive around the entire Tour in a truck full of Innergetic beds. His job, every single day, was to remove the hotel mattress and replace them with an Innergetic mattress. Watching this guy haul 9 beds in and out of hotel rooms every day really made you glad that you weren’t him and really envious for the riders who could literally sleep in their own beds every night. Normally, the guys will get about 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night, but as they get more and more fatigued it gets harder and harder to sleep. Because the race doesn’t usually start until 12 or 1 pm in the afternoon, a lot of the guys will wake up at about 7 am to have a big breakfast, then go back to sleep until about 10, then eat some more before departing for the race. So the short of it is that they get off their bikes and spend the rest of the day with massage therapists, chiropractors, team doctors, physical therapists throwing everything short of the kitchen sink at them from the world of known recovery tricks while the team chef prepares a never ending stream of food that the guys attempt to shove down their throats until they’re bloated little pigs ready to repeat for the next day. Truly bizarre stuff.

Allen

What type of training/workout program is most effective in being able to maintain a high level of wattage (or speed) for a steady, long climbing of 60-90 minutes, with some steep sections within which require standing/extra effort?

Bruce

Bruce, this is a question which begins with the answer “It depends”. You asked:

What type of training/workout program is most effective in being able to maintain a high level of wattage (or speed) for a steady, long climbing of 60-90 minutes, with some steep sections within which require standing/extra effort?

I assume that you want your “best” performance and so you want to develop a periodized sport-specific training program that produces the optimal wattage for the elapsed time. A 6-8 week training program that begins with hill intervals, short then intermediate adding long hill repeats would probably get you the best results. I’d suggest the following:

1. Short intervals = 25% of the time = 15-20 minutes
2. Intermediate intervals = 50% of the time = 30-45 minutes
3. Long intervals = 75% of the time = 45-65 minutes

Then, add to your training program one day of 2-5 short intervals with adequate and active recovery between them followed by another day of intermediate intervals. Add in about 2 weeks a third workout, long hill intervals about the same grade as the event that you would like to do. For the final 4 weeks of training – do three hill intervals per week – this time adding the long intervals session of 2-3 in a workout session.

Thanks for asking,
With heart,
SALLY

Monday, July 16, 2007

I have been watching the Tour and have noticed they put up riders HR and power in Watts. Yesterday I noticed one rider had a HR of 169 and power of 507W. Are the watts shown an average or simply the watts shown at that exact moment? If it is in fact an average - WOW! - these guys are genetic monsters!

Thanks,
Brooks

Brooks,

They freeze the frame for those shots. Since the signal is so intermittent, you are catching one reading, and we are holding on that reading. Not that these guys aren't genetic monsters, but we have to make sure the transmission is up, so we freeze the shot instead of letting it roll live.

ciao
Robbie

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During my last 2 triathlons (sprint) I suffered from hyperventilation during the swim portion. Swimming is my strongest leg! I'm not sure what's happening. I seem to be having trouble "settling in" to the swim and instead, get more out of breath and anxious. I recover once I'm out of the water, though I feel like the anxiety and resulting hyperventilation, has sapped me of some energy. Any ideas? My next race is the Chicago Accenture Olympic distance and the swim will be in Lake MI. I do plan on spending some time training in Lake MI. Also, I have taken the "5 hour energy shots" for my last few races. Could this be the culprit?

Thanks!
Kathy

Sally Says:

Say, Kathy, panic or anxiety attacks are common in open water swimming experiences. Lots of folks struggle with how to quiet themselves and get into their comfort zone. Here are a few tricks:

1. Practice - Go to an open water and practice 30 starts. Run into the water, take 50 strokes, and stop, return to start. Repeat 30 times.

2. Focus - Get a mantra. Mine is “I am a great swimmer” and each time my hand enters the water I say one of those words over and over and over and over again sighting on the buoy with each word “swimmer”. This focuses the mind and doesn’t let it go crazy with thoughts like “How big are the fish in this lake.”

3. Roll over on your Back - When the anxiety attack first starts, swim to the side of your wave, and quietly roll over on your back until you get your breathing back in control.

4. Wait - When your wave starts, don’t move. Stand there and count to five then slowly walk into the water and begin to swim. You have clear, calm water to swim in with no splashing and no one around you.

5. Go Slow - Don’t swim fast. This can bring on the panic, restricting feeling…just go slow and ultimately you end up going faster.

I hope this helps. If you do all five of these tips I can guarantee that it won’t happen again!

With heart,
Sally Edwards,
Director of Training, CycleOps

Saturday, July 15, 2007

We frequently hear figures regarding how many watts the best riders can maintain for a 30 or 60 minute period. But how much power do they actually generate on Category 1 and HC climbs, especially those that come late in the race after about 4 hours or more of riding? And how much of a difference is there between the power level of a top rider going up the climbs that occur before the last climb of the day and a summit finish? For example, this Sunday, how much more power will the top GC riders put out on the climb to Tignes than on the preceding climb up the Montee D'Hautville?

Thanks,
Jim

Jim,

To answer your question, let's take a look at the 6 mountain stages from last year's Tour and see what Floyd did as a reference. I've attached a table that shows each categorized climb on stage 10,11,14,15,16, and 17. Since he was a team leader, who primarily rode with other team leaders, we'll just assume that we can generalize to other team leaders from his single data set.

Long story short, for the big climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees the average length is 12.3 ± 8.1 km at 6.2 ± 1.3% grade. For these climbs the average length is 32:36 ± 20:31 min:sec, completed at an average power output of 359 ± 38 watts or 5.2 ± 0.6 watts per kg.

Over each of these 6 stages, all had at least 3 climbs, 4 stages had 4 climbs, and 2 stages had a total of 5 climbs. So if we compare the metrics across these sequential climbs, here's what we get:

Average for First Climbs (n=6)
16.9 ± 13.7 km at 5.8 ± 1.4% grade, for 42:34 ± 32:02 min:sec, at 364 ± 40 watts or 5.3 ± 0.06 watts per kg.

Average for Second Climbs (n=6)
12.2 ± 6.3 km at 5.9 ± 1.3%, for 32:54 ± 20:06 min:sec, at 341 ± 41 watts or 4.9 ± 0.6 watts per kg.

Average for Third Climbs (n=6)
9.9 ± 2.7 km at 6.7 ± 1.1%, for 27:09 ± 7:12 min:sec, at 359 ± 40 watts or 5.2 ± 0.6 watts per kg.

Average for Fourth Climbs (n=4)
9.3 ± 6.4 km at 5.9 ± 1.4%, for 25:12 ± 20:19 min:sec, at 369 ± 42 watts or 5.4 ± 0.6 watts per kg.

Average for Firth Climbs (n=2)
12.4 ± 0.8 km at 6.9 ± 2.0%, for 32:56 ± 6:33 min:sec, at 377 ± 6 watts or 5.5 ± 0.0 watts per kg.

Though I haven't run the statistics to see if there is any significant difference (likely very little), the general tendency that I see is that higher power outputs were put out on the final climbs. This makes sense, as the riders are all trying to conserve on the initial climbs and wait for the final climbs to unleash. When I talk to the guys about the big mountain days and the multiple climbs, they always tell me that everyone in the pack has the power to make it over or chase back after the first climb, only about 60% can get over the second climb, 30% can get over the third climb, and only about 10 to 15 riders have the strength to get over the fourth or fifth climb.

Of real interest, take a look at the profiles from stage 15, 16, and 17. You can see a nice steady progression on Stage 15, with a strong finish of 5.9 watts per kg on L'Alpe d'Huez. In contrast, you can see consistent climbing on stage 16, with a detonation on the final climb up La Toussuire. What's interesting about that day was the leaders finished that climb at an average of about 5.5 watts per kg. Finally, on Stage 17 we see very consistent climbing, with a fall towards the end compared to the first climb of the day at the same length.

So if things go well for the team leaders in the upcoming stages, they'll be putting out more power on the final climbs or hill top finishes compared to the initial climbs, while the domestiques will likely have reversed profiles.

Hope this answers your question.

Allen

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How do injuries like the one that Vinokourov has affect the body's max potential to perform? Is there a certain amount of energy that the body saves back to help heal the injury?

Brian

Brian,

I don't have any data that directly quantifies the energy loss, metabolic impact, or performance decrement caused by injuries like the one that Vinokourov sustained. I can tell you, however, from working with riders at the Tour who have crashed or been injured that the impact on performance is significant. The amount of pain and emotional energy required to ride a given power output goes up significantly and generally speaking the guys never ride to the same potential that we know they can which may be due to both physical and psychological reasons. Of course, all of this depends on the nature of the injury. Sometimes injuries that look really bad initially have less of an impact than injuries that look really minor at first. So it's always hard to tell and each scenario is unique. That all being said, by the last week of the Tour every rider I know is sick or hurt in some way so it's all relative. Everyone hurts, it's just about who can hurt more.

Allen

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I have just begun to train with a PowerTap 2.4. I am noticing that in seated climbing, my wattage is 25% - 30% greater at 95 rpm in an easier gear, versus 80 rpm in a harder one (speed precisely the same, leg speed the only variable). I've been hearing for years about maintaining fast cadence, and it is in fact more "comfortable" to shift so you are riding this way. But I'd like to understand why for the same speed the 95 rpm gear choice is so much better for my overall power.

First, let’s focus on the definition of cycling power. Power is work……work = Force X Distance. For a cyclist, Work = Torque (turning force) X Angular Velocity (speed of pedal rotation) Simply put, power (represented as watts) is how hard you push on the pedals x the number of times you apply this turning force. To produce more power you would simply push harder (via personal strength, change gears, change body position) or increase cadence. In the perfect world, a cyclist trains to push harder, faster. The ability to push harder or faster is unique for each individual, as each have unique physiological requirements. Using the PowerTap, you will now be able to determined your climbing strengths & weaknesses & discover your optimal cadence.

Optimal cadence results in economy and power. A slower cadence allows a rider to apply more force to the pedals, focusing on brute strength.

A higher cadence allows the rider to take more pedal strokes per minute, relying more on the cardio-respiratory system to transport oxygen, fuels and rid waste products. This will likely result in applying less torque in order to keep the cadence consistent; however a quicker rmp will create the proper balance allowing you to sustain the greatest amount of power efficiently.

Greater fax oxidation occurs at a faster cadence, taxing the cardio-respiratory system’s ability to deliver oxygen, resulting in a heart rate acceleration and energy loss. Whereas, lower RPM supporting more powerful pedal strokes, rely more on glycogen. As glycogen is depleted, lactic acid accumulates and may cause muscle fatigue. Thus, a slower-more forceful pedal stroke develops muscular strength, but may cause fatigue. Therefore if one is grinding out 70rpm @ 300 watts compared to 90 rpm at 300 watts, it is likely that they are relying more on leg strength, than cardi-respiratory strength. Although the slower cadence dictates how hard you can push the pedals, you would do it less frequently. The quicker rpm means you are not pushing as much force during each pedal stroke, but you are doing it more frequently.

Therefore, higher cadences utilize the enduring cardio-respiratory system more, putting less stress on the leg muscles. Lower cadences apply more force, creating extra demand on the leg muscles, diminishing the length of time you can maintain the effort. To determine your optimal cadence, use your PowerTap to analyze your efficiency & sustaining efforts at various cadences & gears, & comparing to heartrate, RPE & speed. When you note power dropping or heart rate rising rapidly, you are shying away from the sweet spot. If you notice your power output drops in a big gear, this is your wake up call that you need to build strength. If the watts are plumetting in smaller gears, its time to train at high rpm.

Angie

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Saturday, July 14, 2007

Is it possible to get stronger and faster on uphill's when you are training primarily on a trainer? What is the best way to gain speed and endurance on the hills?

Patricia

Yes it is possible; assuming your indoor training imitates the specific demands of hills. I would recommend using both...the CycleOps trainer indoors and riding the spankers outdoors to ensure actual stimulus exists.

The key to training indoors is to precisely reproduce the demands of climbing outdoors. This will develop everything from muscular endurance to higher thresholds to climbing power. To do this, simply measure the demands of the hills outdoors with your PowerTap & evaluate the data of the climb (power, Kjs, cadence, speed & duration). You can now recreate those demands accurately inside.

To increase muscular endurance, progressively sustain the work demands (recorded from data) for longer durations, increased by appx 10% per week. To boost power, progressively increase the amout of work you can do by appx 2-3% per week, in the same amount of time.

To ensure successful indoor climbing strength, you'll also need to focus on efficient pedal strokes via stroke drills, which will enhance muscle fiber recruitment for a more powerful stroke. Climbing also requires a strong core to assist in driving brute force to pedals, ensuring you reach the top of the hill with energy to spare. Therefore do not neglect your core training.

Indoor training should focus on both seated & standing climbs. Seated is more efficient as your body weight is supported in the saddle, providing stability for the hips to drive brute force. Seated also allows you to drop the heel a bit to assist in pushing the pedal forward over the top of the pedal stroke to generate max force. Throw in some climbing time out of the saddle to boost power output. With your body weight off the saddle, you can drop more weight into each stroke.

Also focus on alternating cadence with hill-like loads. Climbing at a higher cadence will produce power & speed (high velocity). Climbing at lower rpm will develop torque, as a slower pace provides the opportunity to ching it up to bigger gears & grind it out. Hill accelerations, surges, & explosive climbing moves are the most effective way to improve neuromuscular coordination & raw power.

To develop the aerobic system while climbing, train with hill-like loads below your threshold. Training above threshold will develop anaerobic climbing power.

If you want to be a better climber, climb hills. If you need to train indoors, recreate the actual demands of those hills & simulate the efforts.

Angie Sturtevant

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Hey Allen,

Living in Boulder, CO one of my favorite climbs is Flagstaff Mountain. I was wondering if you could estimate what Floyd Landis would be able to ride the mountain in (from the bottom where Baseline ends and Flagstaff Rd begins to the mail boxes at the top) and what his average power output would be if he time trialed it? Also could you tell us a couple of speciifc very important key training workouts that Floyd rode that were essential in leading up to his tour win: the ones where you just say to yourself when you get home "that's why I'm gonna win the Tour de France!"? (interval times, watts, etc.)

Thanks!
Hunter-

Living in Boulder, CO Flagstaff is also my favorite climb and probably the most important test of fitness that I use with the riders I coach. For those not familiar with the Flagstaff climb, it starts at about 5400 feet in Boulder and gains about 2,250 feet over 5.6 miles for an average grade of 7.7%. The fastest times I have recorded for this climb are all sub-27 minute, for Michael Barry, Scott Moninger, and Tom Peterson.

Although, Floyd has never ridden Flagstaff, I can estimate pretty precisely what Floyd's time would be if we used his power output from last year's Alp d'Huez climb. This is key, because in my opinion, it's not so important what a rider can do on Flagstaff when fresh, it's what he or she can do late in the game that really separates them from the field. With that in mind, if Floyd rode Flagstaff at an average of about 405 watts (which is what he did on Alp d'Huez in '06), from 17th street on Baseline to the mail boxes, his time would be 24 minutes and 15 seconds.

Adjusting, however, for the drop in power I know he would incur at moderate altitudes (-30 to 40 watts), his actual time would be about 26:25 min:sec. If you want to make the first group in the Tour, then you need to be able to climb Flagstaff in about 28 minutes. The rest of the field is coming in between 28 to 35 minutes.

As another point of reference for those not familiar with Flagstaff, the best guys are doing a VAM of 1500 to 1600 m/hour on the climb, which would put them in the 5.5 watt per kg range on it (see VAM chart).

As far as epic Floyd training rides go, the basic "he's going to win the Tour ride" involved the following. Six to seven hours in the Pyrenees at an average power output of 240 to 300 watts, burning 5000 to 6000 Kjoules, accumulating at least 10,000 feet of climbing at 5 to 5.5 watts/kg, with 2 to 3 hours of motor pacing, and at least 1 hour in the middle on the time trial bicycle going full tilt. It's the everything workout -- speed, climbing, threshold, time trialing, race pace. Maybe not enough sprint work, but if you've ever seen Floyd sprint, it's pretty sad. I've followed Floyd on more than a handful of these rides and it's Floyd at his best. Basically loading up the car with food, water, Gatorade, Cokes, time trial bike, spare clothes, and wheels. Then picking a point on the map 200 km away, and betting he couldn't make it there in under 7 hours.

Allen

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Dr. Lim, how does the average power output/kg seen in the prologue leaders compare to the average watts/kg for the best climbers in the most severe mountain stages?

The average power to weight ratios seen in the prologue leaders are significantly higher compared to the average power to weights for the best climbers in the most severe mountain stages. Compared to the 6 to 7 watts per kg power outputs for 9 minutes put out by the top prologue riders the best climbers will average between 5 to 6 watts per kg for 15 to 60 minutes on the hardest climbs.

In last year’s Tour de France, the fastest piece of climbing was performed by Floyd Landis and Andreas Kloden on Alp D’Huez. At 38:40 min:sec, they climbed Alp D’Huez at an ascent rate of about 1691 meters per hour, which was equivalent to 5.90 watts per kg for Floyd and approximately 5.97 watts per kg for Kloden. This extreme pace, however, is not the norm. In fact, if we were to look at all of the climbs that took more than 10 minutes to complete in last year’s Tour we would only find 26 of them in total. For these 26 climbs, the average length of time was 30.7 ± 20.1 minutes (min = 10.6 minutes, max = 96.5 minutes), with an average power output for Floyd of only 5.07 ± 0.63 watts per kg (min = 3.9 watts per kg, max = 5.90 watts per kg).

So to get back to your question, I think the best comparison of top prologue power and top climbing power can and will currently be seen by Kloden who will need a 6 watt per kg performance for over 30 minutes to win the hardest mountain stages and who almost won the prologue at just over 7 watts per kg.

Allen

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Allen- In stage 5 Popyvich and Cancellara tried to make a break for it on the final downhill. It seems to me that it would be more probable to gain time on the peloton while climbing rather than descending because on the downhill it is all a question of aerodynamics and not as much about out-powering the competition. On the climb it might be possible to gain a few seconds with just a few more watts of power output. Is my thinking correct?

Brian

 

This is a very interesting question — one that has vexed myself, team directors, riders, and fans. Because of that high frustration quotient, I’ve actually been working on this problem for the last 3 days in an attempt to produce some simple prediction charts for the team car. And having just finished one the most wicked spreadsheet I’ve ever created I just might be able to answer your question. Or at the very least pose a few “what if” scenarios.

The short of it is that attacking the field anywhere is always a gamble and odds are it’s just not going to work. And while you are right that it takes enormous power to gain any amount of time on descents where speed is very high and aerodynamics dominate, it also takes enormous power output to close even the smallest gap in these high speed scenarios. While it may all be relative, most riders say chasing at high speeds in tail winds or descents is one of the hardest positions to be in. Thus, it’s always hard to say even based on terrain, especially in the case of the duo attack of Cancellara and Popovych where the attack happened so close to the finish, who is going to win or if a move was smart.

Ultimately, success depends on so many factors -- the terrain, length of stage, kilometers to go, time gap, number of guys chasing, number of guys in the break, wind conditions, temperature, and the strength of the guys chasing and being chased. In an attempt to predict the odds of whether a break could stay away or not, Tim Olds put out a paper in 1998 in the European Journal of Applied Physiology (Vol. 77, pp 492-497) to try to make sense of all the madness. His model, which I’ve borrowed and modified a bit, takes into account many of the factors I’ve just listed. The most important ones for this exercise are the distance remaining, time gap, number of riders in break, and number of riders chasing. The model essentially predicts how long the break and chase group can maintain the speed and power they are holding. Two primary factors thus determine who wins. The first is whether the time the two groups can hold their pace can even get them to the line. For example, if the break is holding a pace that they can hold for 10 km and there are 15 km to go, they’re screwed. Likewise for the chasers. Assuming that both groups can maintain their pace, the second factor that determines who will win, is whether the number of chasers versus number of break riders allows the chasers to maintain a fast enough pace to over take the break. Said another way, the model predicts how many riders need to chase to create a pace that overtakes the break.

Using this model, I decided to see if Popovych and Cancellara were just blowing sunshine up their butts. Based on the terrain profile from Stage 5, at the top of the final climb (La Croix de La Liberation), there were 8.5 kilometers to go over an elevation drop of 278 meters or 896 feet (-3.27% grade). Based on this, the math predicts that if two guys were able to work perfectly with one another (each with a peak 10 min power of at least 450 watts), the maximum speed that they could hold for the final 8.5 km would be 65.2 kph or 40.4 mph, which would give them exactly 7:49 min:sec to the line. That’s an average power of 682 watts when pulling, 423 watts when drafting, and a mean overall power of 480 watts (Of course, this model also assumes that spikes in power don’t effect the overall power or that fatigue isn’t a factor, which we know is not true, so this is best case scenario or at the very least still relative). What’s interesting is that if they had 30 seconds over the top of that final climb, the chase group would have to have averaged 70 kph or 43.4 mph to overtake the two riders average speed of 65.2 kph. And the only way this would happen is if 11 guys chased all out. In this scenario, the amount of time left is so short and the speed already so high, that it takes more than an entire team of riders to bring back just 30 seconds. If the time gap were just 15 seconds, then the chase speed could come down to 67.5 kph (41.9 mph) which would only require 4 riders to maintain. So in the real life scenario of Popovych and Cancellara attacking on the descent and never gaining more than about 15 seconds on the field, I think they were dreaming. Had they, however, attacked on the climb and gained at least 20 to 30 seconds over the top I think they would have had a real chance of winning. In that scenario, I can’t see more than 5 guys being able to work together on the windy descent. So here’s to Popovych and Cancellara for spicing it up. Next time, get 20 seconds over the top and you’ll make it.

Allen

* To learn more about the entire model I used and to get one of the team car charts I’ve made see my full story about breaking and chasing on www.active.com.

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After Alexander Vinokourov's crash, his Astana teammates went into time trial mode to get him back with the peleton. Not only did they fail, to a man they cracked in the process, leaving him to make up the last bit of lost ground on his own. Assuming Vino is healthy enough to ride, will his team have enough left to keep him in the race during stage 6 and are they strong enough for the rest of the Tour?

Thanks, Jay

Jay,

I think the team road there ass of for Vino yesterday-They had to ride flat out because they had very little distance to make up the lost time and the field was flat out chasing the leaders. They did a great job getting him as close as they could but Vino can go over the final climb much faster than his tired teammates. If they were 40k from the finish they would have brought him back to the peleton with ease. His team is strong and very dedicated. Have no fear-if Vino is good his team will make sure he wins.

ciao
Robbie

Friday, July 13, 2007

The riders in the breakaways with very few exceptions get caught. The power of the peleton is too strong for three or four riders. So why do riders break away? And do the breakaway riders typically decide before the stage that it's their day for a breakaway or is it generally a spontaneous act?

Thanks,
Jay --Washington

Jay,

Riders get in breakaways for a variety of reasons-

• On occasion they can win the race.
• They can p ick up points for the climber's or sprinter's jerseys.
• There are often primes along the route; some are big money.
• TV time--many times teams need exposure for their sponsor as well as you personally--being on TV all day is more fun than being in the peloton.

ciao
Robbie

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How do the team directors know the right point in time (and the required speed that the peloton needs to accelerate to), in order to successfully reel in the long breakaways before the end of the Stages? Depending on the terrain, it would seem to me there must be some reasonably complex math involved - but if so, how do the team directors cope with this given that they're already busy people?

Thanks!
Ian --Quebec

Ian,

They do a quick calculation- this is very rough and just a starting point for these directors- They assume at full speed a fresh peleton can pull about 7-10 seconds a Kilometer out of a tired break away. Now, there are other factors that effect this number:

• How many are in the break--the more people working in the break, the slower they come back.
• How long has the break been out there--the longer they are out there the faster they will come back.
• How many are involved in the chase--the more chasers, the faster they can chase.
• What is the terrain--the field goes slower on hillier terrain.
• What is the wind like--tailwinds favor the break.

Add and subtract time based on these factors, and you can get pretty close to how fast you can pull back a break.

ciao
Robbie

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Robbie,

Is there any difference in the power outputs from the initial stage sprints when compared to the final stage sprints of the tour? Does chronic fatigue over the tour lead to reduced sprint power at the end of the tour?

Aaron --Wisconsin

The big difference in the final output of the sprints comes down to how hard the stage and final 10k are for the sprinters. If the sprint run-in is flat and fast, then big numbers are expected. If the last 10K are difficult and take some sting out of the sprinters' legs, then the explosive power numbers will reflect that muscle fatigue.

ciao
Robbie

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Dear Saris,

Can you explain how the winner of the Green Jersey is determined? Are the points for the stage only or are they accumulative?

Thanks,
Paul

Points on the road as well as stage finish points are added up, and the person with the most is the green jersey holder--the points are cumulative over the entire tour.

Very simple actually. Points for intermediate sprints are 6 for first, 4 for second, and 2 for third. Points on the finish are for the frist 20 riders starting with 30 points and finishing with 1 point for 20th place.

ciao
Robbie

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Thursday, July 12, 2007

I hear people talk about the importance of high power-to-weight ratio. Why is this important and how can I improve mine?

You are correct . . . the power-to-weight ratio (PWR) is the huge factor. If you have a light weight sports car and a heavy monster truck with the same horsepower, they will have different PWR. (Bet on the lightweight sports car to be smokin’ fast). It’s determined by dividing horsepower by the weight of the car. The result is the amount of weight each horsepower has to move. The lower the weight, the better. Let’s take power out of the equation to understand how dropping weight becomes a key factor. If Tammy Triathlete weighs 130lbs and rides a 20lb bike, she is driving 150lbs. If she shaves 2lbs by investing in an 18lb bike, she is now driving 148lbs (and has an additional $3000 credit card bill). However, if she loses 5lbs, she is driving 145lbs (no additional credit card bill). Now factor in her workload. Assuming her power output did not change, she has just increased her PWR. Although it is always fun to buy a lighter bike, there are additional physiological benefits to losing the body weight, which in turn gives Tammy the benefit of driving less weight and increasing her PWR (performance!).

The training goal for the cyclist is to have the highest power-to-weight ratio. I call this training plan “grow to be lighter”, meaning become lighter while retaining/gaining strength. Realize that body weight is influenced by the weight of fat, muscle, bone and water. Since muscle mass establishes strength, you need to ‘grow” stronger by developing the muscles that move the pedals. Therefore, focus your attention on becoming ‘lighter’ by reducing body fat. (Grow to be lighter….get it?)

This can be achieved with a smart nutrition plan that encourages carving away body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass. The trick is to lose the weight without compromising performance. First, you need to establish your current conditioning level with performance assessments. This will provide markers to ensure you retain/gain strength. Next, you need to determine your RMR (resting metabolic rate) to realize your individual nutrition, VO2 to determine your accurate caloric expenditure during exercise requirements and body composition to determine your current body fat percentage. Then focus on a smart nutritional program to lose body fat, highlighting non processed, healthy foods at a calorie level based your RMR and activity. By keeping a training log that keeps track of your power output, Kj’s and RPE, you will be able to assess an optimal body fat percentage while sustaining/gaining strength. By focusing on body composition instead of body weight, you should achieve the most favorable body fat percentage. This equates to driving less weight, while doing the same/more work. You’ve gone from a Monster Truck to a Sports Car.

GROW to be LIGHTER = INCREASING PWR

--Angie Sturtevant

Editor's Note: See the question and Allen's answer below about caveats of losing too much weight and consult a physician, nutritionalist, or licensed coach when trying to start any weight-loss program.

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Hi Guys! (and Ladies!)

So, going against traditional wisdom and wanting to drop about 5-10 lbs mid season (gained early on this season due to injury and illness)...I'm reading and watching all these tour riders who talk about "lightening up" over the first week to get ready for the mountain stages....and how the riders all lose weight (and a lot of it) during the Tour itself, because they cannot eat enough to replace the amount of calories they burn. Questions come to mind:

1) If they can lose weight in the first week or so of the tour, wouldn't the traditional wisdom say that they are also losing muscle and energy in the process? Why is this an accepted practice among some, when those of us who are less than amateur are instructed to basically not try to lose weight during the season?

2) Do the riders' performances suffer as a result of the forced weight loss? If I am in 500 k/cal/day deficit while training 12-16 hrs a week (easy to track thanks to my Power Tap!!!), what kind of ill effect will it have on my training? On my power output? Energy levels?? My long-term health??

3) If these guys can lose weight like they do over the course of 3 weeks and still perform at the top of their game, why should I not try during the season...a little more slowly? Will my goal races suffer as a result??? Just how much difference will I notice on a 500cal deficit vs a 250 or 100 cal deficit vs no deficit??

4) Would you have any warning signs to look for while trying to lose weight during the season? You know, red flags that say I need to rethink this?

Thanks!
Aloha,
Kate

1) Losing weight during the Tour is often accepted practice for two reasons. The first, is that the riders still go faster because of improvements in their power-to-weight and slight improvements in power to drag, despite any potential loss in muscle mass or energy stores. The second, is that its sometimes unavoidable. Between the physical demand, the heat, illness, and the general stress, some riders will lose weight regardless of the interventions taken to prevent it. Long story short, performance and health are not necessarily synonymous. And some would say there is little that is healthy about a 3 week stage race. That all said, I don’t like seeing my riders lose weight while racing. Outside of constant I.V. feeding or regurgitating pre-digested food from birds down their throats, weight loss for some, however, is the norm.

2) Depending on where you are starting — you have a small amount of weight to lose or a lot of extra weight to lose — caloric deficit while training could have varyin