high cadence low weight guy's V power (The tour)

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Zoof

New Member
Location
Manchester
Hi all, the debate rumbles on

Frank & Andy Schleck, old Marco Pantani high cadence low weight guy's.
Yet the winner of the tour has been consistently, a big power guy (30-35 years.

Constantly crunching out a capacious gear, up the hills, at 50-60 rpm.
Timed to catch them up on the down hill, or on the flat where he is king.
Power rules OK

What tactics can the Schleck's adopt to stop this juggernaut in 2012????
 

monnet

Guru
Not really. In recent years in particular I'd look at the winners style. Contador is no low cadence rider. Armstrong famously wasn't. Look at Italian challengers like Basso - again high cadence. Even Evans isn't really a grinder.

The debate is nothing to do with climbing cadence more about when the Schlecks are going to realise that in Cancellara they have the best tester in the world and they might like to learn something from him. They are also poor descenders, something Fab could probably help them with again (though Andy did show a bit of improvement this year).
 

zizou

Veteran
Contador isn't a big power guy and Armstrong was all about maintaining a high cadence.

The big power riders to me are guys like Cancellera and Hushovd and they are not in contention for the GC (nor do they have a low cadence).

I do wonder though how much is about fashion - for example if Jan Ulrich had the upper hand over Armstrong would more riders be grinding big gears?
 

Chris.IOW

Well-Known Member
As above Armstrong was famous for riding at a higher cadence then rivals, many a time when he attacked it was commented that Ulrich grinding his big gear did not have the acceleration to respond.
 
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Zoof

Zoof

New Member
Location
Manchester
Hi Gaz that's a goodun can't live with that.
thumbsup.png


What tactics can the Schleck's adopt to win; or are they just two annoyance's
 

monnet

Guru
As I said, they need to learn to time trial.

They might have been better off attacking more in the mountains this year but Andy's failure to improve his testing left him losing this year and his ineptitude in the prologue last year cost him the tour, more than any of the chain antics did.

Of course, they may just lack the killer instinct. See Liege this year.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
When people say high cadence i think of +120rpm, like this
[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVbwngNoHm0[/media]



80-100rpm is just standard

I can manage 130 rpm and I don't have a particularly high cadence. I reckon those guys were doing more like 180-200 rpm! :eek:
 

RecordAceFromNew

Swinging Member
Location
West London
I think I read somewhere that nowadays it is all about power to rider weight ratio to have a decent chance of winning GC in the Tour due to the number/severity of mountain stages, that the sprinters are going to collect all the flat stages while struggle just to survive on the mountains, and the big power guys are falling in between two stools.

It is interesting that one of Stapleton's strategic thinking at the beginning was that since Contador was spoken for, he knew he should forget the GC and focus on winning the flat stages, and the main ingredient to achieve that was to have the best sprinter(s). The rest is history.
 
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Zoof

Zoof

New Member
Location
Manchester
As I said, they need to learn to time trial.

They might have been better off attacking more in the mountains this year but Andy's failure to improve his testing left him losing this year and his ineptitude in the prologue last year cost him the tour, more than any of the chain antics did.

Of course, they may just lack the killer instinct. See Liege this year.



Yes I agree monnet that's why I like Cavendish
a head-butting ear-tearing type of guy.
rolleyes.gif


Now gentlemen I have listened and analysed what you have said.
And come up with a theory, so I may have to be the Vicar of Bray.
But today I need to fit in a test run; so no time to write: see you soon Zoof
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Zoof

Zoof

New Member
Location
Manchester
I think I read somewhere that nowadays it is all about power to rider weight ratio to have a decent chance of winning GC in the Tour due to the number/severity of mountain stages, that the sprinters are going to collect all the flat stages while struggle just to survive on the mountains, and the big power guys are falling in between two stools.

It is interesting that one of Stapleton's strategic thinking at the beginning was that since Contador was spoken for, he knew he should forget the GC and focus on winning the flat stages, and the main ingredient to achieve that was to have the best sprinter(s). The rest is history.

food for thought; yes you have given a good summation cheers zoof
 

Garz

Squat Member
Location
Down
It is interesting that one of Stapleton's strategic thinking at the beginning was that since Contador was spoken for, he knew he should forget the GC and focus on winning the flat stages, and the main ingredient to achieve that was to have the best sprinter(s). The rest is history.

In previous years you gained time for finishing the first few places. May not seem to make much difference but alters the tactics for the riders.

I think I read somewhere that nowadays it is all about power to rider weight ratio to have a decent chance of winning GC in the Tour due to the number/severity of mountain stages, that the sprinters are going to collect all the flat stages while struggle just to survive on the mountains, and the big power guys are falling in between two stools.

Quite right. It seems the latest fashion is to throw in tough climbs, just take a look at this years Giro.
 
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Zoof

Zoof

New Member
Location
Manchester
Hi all can anybody answerer this this quandary.
wave.gif

Spinning V power you may be right?

When I'm on tour, (carrying lot's a weight) & faced with small steep hill.
I now drop from a 53t to a 40t and spin up.
At around 90 rpm a sort of turbo effect kicks in.

At that rpm I cannot be pushing hard, but it is the easiest way to get the load to the top.

At first my thinking being: a flywheel effect is created, with kinetic energy stored in the legs.
But is that all?


Has anybody noticed the same affect, or know why?
 
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