Watts

[Keith Oates]

Does any one have any idea or knowledge of the number of watts the likes of Cav and the other top sprinters, push out during the final 200 metre sprint for the line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[marzjennings]

I've read riders can hit 1700-2000 watts.

 

[Keith Oates]

I thought that was the level of Watts that Chris Hoy can produce but I would think that a sprinter after a 200 Km stage would not be able to reach that. I could be wrong but it would be nice if some other members have opinions or knowledge on this.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[srw]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/nov/23/mark-cavendish-tour-de-france

That's an interesting article given everything that's happened since - and suggests 1600 watts.

 

[brockers]

From this


“You’d be surprised at my watts,” Cavendish says.

“Most people who say that their maximum is 1,600 watts won’t put out 1,600. My maximum is 1,580, and that is a lot. Not many guys will do more than a hundred more than that. But no one will ever get close to that in a race after 200 kilometres,” he continues.

“I put out 1,490 today in training, on bad form, but I won’t put that out in a race. It’s not watts, and it’s not just my frontal area in a sprint. It’s everything beforehand. How I ride in the peloton. My pedalling action. How I sit. I save so much energy for the finish.”

That's about 1 horsepower. Pathetic really. It would take eight Cavs at full chat to equal the power of my old C90 moped

Edit: My bad. 1 hoss = 750 watts, => 4 cavs = 1 moped

 

[marzjennings]

I was thinking more track than road when I said 1700-2000 and it's interesting to read how riders like Cav, while having similar peak power limits to riders like Hoy, have to balance that against the need to endure +100 miles before delivering a powerful sprint.

Found an interesting set of data on the SRM site (http://www.srm.de/in...r-de-france/641). The graph below showing Chris Horner in the last 4km knocking out some +700 and +800 wattage numbers.

EDIT...

Found an even better graph from SRM showing Andre Greipel in a sprint showdown against Cavendish. Some awesome wattage numbers. (from here... http://www.srm.de/index.php/gb/srm-...-analyse-srm-daten-massensprint-andre-greipel )

Last 400m....

 

[Keith Oates]

I knew they would be high but I didn't expect them to go to that much at the end of a stage. I think I can safely say that I would need more than a drafting tow to keep on their back wheels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[brockers]

I seem to remember when Cav was going up a an Alp in his first Tour he almost fainted as he glanced down at his SRM display. It was reading more than 500W and he reckoned he'd collapse if he climbed the whole incline at that intensity. A team-mate told him everyone gets freaked out like that on their first tour and the advice was not to look at the power output, and to put some tape over the display! Ignorance being bliss etc.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Found an even better graph from SRM showing Andre Greipel in a sprint showdown against Cavendish. Some awesome wattage numbers. (from here... http://www.srm.de/in...t-andre-greipel )

Last 400m....

Interesting indeed, and despite that the poor man only made 3rd for the stage.

The classic case of tom, dick and harry all scrambling to be on Cav's wheels while Cav was on Goss and Renshaw's wheels, so the Gorilla had to play catch up, as usual, from about the 10th position, but the moment he came out of someone else's slipstream it must have been like hitting a brick with his size...

On the other hand Petacchi got 2nd by doing seemingly relatively little by sticking behind Cav's wheels.

 

[Keith Oates]

I seem to remember when Cav was going up a an Alp in his first Tour he almost fainted as he glanced down at his SRM display. It was reading more than 500W and he reckoned he'd collapse if he climbed the whole incline at that intensity. A team-mate told him everyone gets freaked out like that on their first tour and the advice was not to look at the power output, and to put some tape over the display! Ignorance being bliss etc.

It wasn't a team mate but David Millar that advised him and apparently that is exactly what he did!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!