How Do The Pros Maintain Their Speed

[CapnAhab]

When watching the Tour de France and looking at the average speeds for the overall tour and even the hill climbs, I'm amazed at their average speeds. On stage 1 (flat) they averaged 27 mph for about 144 miles or so. On stage 17 (hill) it was just over 21 mph for 110 miles!

Considering I cycle on my own at the mo and over 20 miles I struggle to keep it at 15 mph, my question is what accounts for these pro speeds - or in what ratio for the following?

1) Their superb physical shape?
1a) Youth?
2) Their technique?
3) Their equipment?
4) Riding in a peloton?

I'm new to all this so I may have missed other factors.

 

[HLaB]

1) Superb physical shape, most definitely.
1a) Youth, helps a good bit in tandem with the above but you've also got some good riders that are that bit older, the one that springs to mind is Malcolm Elliot, iirc he's 3949.
2) Their technique won't be that much different from amateurs but they can spend time and resources on getting it perfect.
3) Their equipment does make a difference but they have to be in great shape themselves to start with.
4) They definitely benefit from riding in a peleton and it a virtuous cycle the peleton goes faster and they go faster.

What also helps is having somebody (domestiques and support teams) pampering to their every need (food/water/maintenance) so they unlike other riders however they've got to be in great shape to start with

Edit: typo

 

[philipbh]

I'm new to all this so I may have missed other factors.

No traffic !

 

[battered]

EPO on their cornflakes.

I think the peloton is the key.

 

[psmiffy]

I think that you have to remember that they are the best of the best - probably the top 200 road race riders in the world - add in them all working together (when they are up for it) in the pelaton and it is no suprise that they manage to go so fast for so long - still mega impressive though

 

[adscrim]

1a) Youth, helps a good bit in tandem with the above but you've also got some good riders that are that bit older, the one that springs to mind is Malcolm Elliot, iirc he's 39.

You're a decade out - he was born in 1961 which makes his performaces this year even more awe inspiring!

 

[HLaB]

You're a decade out - he was born in 1961 which makes his performaces this year even more awe inspiring!

OOPs sorry typo, I meant to say 49

 

[Peter10]

Sheer determination I think needs to be added in there. How many people are prepared to push themselves to their absolute limit day in day out compared to those who will slow down or give up?

 

[Paul_L]

surely physiology makes a huge difference. body shape, power to weight ratio etc.

 

[marzjennings]

Superb physical shape is almost everything. I've had the chance to ride with a couple of pros in Austin, Texas and during the early parts of the ride everyone's hanging together in a peloton 21-26mph, everyone taking turns to take the lead and then dropping back to recover in the pack. And you can see how it'll be easy to maintain such a speed over 100 miles or more as a large group. And then someone sprints off the side, hitting 40mph in a few pedal strokes, a few guys give chase and it's all gone crazy. The pace is now in the 30s, there's no peloton to ride with and everyone's giving it their all. By the time the peloton reforms, us lowly amateurs are 5 miles back with little to no chance to catch up. And they do this sort of sprint of and recover numerous times in during the Tour. They are in general, freaks of nature.

 

[battered]

They are indeed freaks of nature in the sense that the top 1% of any population is a freak, according to biologists. It's not a derogatory term when correctly used, it just means an outlier. 1% tallest, 1% shortest, fattest, thinnest, etc.

Apparently when Miguel Indurain was at his peak he still appeared to have a belly, even though he had next to no body fat. When they examined him they established that he had such an enormous set of lungs that it pushed his other organs downwards and the only place for them to go was outwards once they escaped his ribs.

Now that's a freak of nature.

 

[downfader]

With regards the mountain stages it should be remembered that its often not 21mph uphill. Thats an average for the whole stage and there will be descents in there too. Descents can end up with riders shooting off at 60mph, so average that with the 15mph typically seen going up the mountain on the ascent, if theres a break it can go faster.

 

[accountantpete]

Mostly technique coupled with plenty of practise.

 

[daddyshambles]

these are all the things i want to know lol good question

When watching the Tour de France and looking at the average speeds for the overall tour and even the hill climbs, I'm amazed at their average speeds. On stage 1 (flat) they averaged 27 mph for about 144 miles or so. On stage 17 (hill) it was just over 21 mph for 110 miles!

Considering I cycle on my own at the mo and over 20 miles I struggle to keep it at 15 mph, my question is what accounts for these pro speeds - or in what ratio for the following?

1) Their superb physical shape?
1a) Youth?
2) Their technique?
3) Their equipment?
4) Riding in a peloton?

I'm new to all this so I may have missed other factors.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Beacuse they are a mutant breed and not real people who lose 2lb by cycling 1000 miles and gain a stone by eating one slice of cake.

Or mabybe it's because the TDF doesn't have 20-mile cake and coffee stops