Road Bike Racing - Armstrong-Ullrich-Zabel-etc. and their training

Okay, this little thought has been wandering around my little brain for a while now, and it wants to come out. It was encouraged by something Lotek said in the Ullrich and amphets thread.

We here a lot of judgments in these noble pages about how much everybody trains. Armstrong always gets praised for being nearly perfect with his training. Ullrich always gets trashed for not being professional enough about it. Other riders receive varying judgments. Lotek just praised Zabel for training hard and for smiling a lot--a good combination.

My thought: How do we know? The fact is that the Armstrong group does a great P.R. job, telling us all about his regimen. And they do a great job with spin about how Ullrich is just not as professional about his training.

But, I would like to see someone give me some evidence that other cyclists are *not* doing things that they judge to be effective training, i.e. that they are somehow working less hard than Armstrong. And the evidence needs, necessarily, to come from somewhere other than the Armstrong camp (or from the Heart Rate Monitor companies).

Clearly Mr. Armstrong is pretty much a god with legs (I am not worthy of calling him Lance). He has dominated the Tour for years now. He is working very hard, and he deserves his wins. But, I think that we need to sift the evidence a bit.

Okay, little thought from a little brain set free.

Cheers,
Jamie

Originally posted by jmlee
My thought: How do we know?
Hmmm ...

He has dominated the Tour for years now.
I think you may have answered your own question! Seriously, I guess we don't know for certain, but I'm willing to take his word on this one.

Zabel is as dedicated as Lance is. Zabel and Tafi are known to put in tons of early season miles- it boggles the mind, even for a pro cyclist.
Ullrich has alot of talent and doesn't maximize it. How do we know this? Well because Ullrich, Rudy Prevenge (DS, Telekom) and others that know have said as much. Plus, when you see Ullrich's fat arse riding in the Giro (last year) somehow you know he doesn't have the dedication to deserve TDF yellow.
Dedication doesn't equal success. Sometimes sheer will or talent is enough- like Ullrich in the 1-day races where his natural ability is enough to demolish most.
Lance is dedicated, talented and has the will to win. It is a rare combination which is why he holds the respect of so many cyclists.

Lance weighs his food. Need anyone say more?

What I am trying to draw attention to has less to do with the amount these guys train and more to do with their marketing efforts.

No one questions Armstrong's dedication, nor his talent. He is rightly admired for them (by other racers, by everyone in this forum including me). But, what I think has gotten a little out of wack is our perception that his so-called professionalism is lacking among other riders. This is the message that the Armstrong team has been hammering out for several years now. But, how many of us read the daily training reports from the other racers? Few, because they don't likely exist. Granted, Ullrich still has some growing up to do. But, you don't win a major race (one day or a tour) just because of talent.

But, one thing that does have to do with their actual training is the issue of how little Armstrong actually races. As we all know, he focuses on the big banana--the Tour. He does not race many of the classics nor the other big tours. And half the time he drops out because of a sick stomach (one with physical or psychological causes?).

He has figured out that the old idea of "racing to train" is not the best way to win the Tour de France. So, he trains while the others are tooting from one classic or tour to another. It would be interesting to see his method adopted by other racers. It would change the nature of the sport, which would unfortunately lead to fewer big races.

But, the other side of this concerns whether we are really willing to say that Armstrong is dominating the sport. He has dominated the Tour de France. But, if he doesn't race and if he drops out when he isn't winning, can he really be said to dominate the sport?

All I am saying is that I think that we need to be a little more critical of the marketing that is going on. I just can't believe that Zabel, or Beloki, or Jalabert, or whoever lacks the dedication or professionalism. But, that is what Charmichael and co. want us to believe. I have tremendous admiration for Armstrong, as a racer and a person, but I am very allergic to the marketing.

Cheers,
Jamie

P.S. Lotek referred in his other post to Armstrong looking angry and then said something like "maybe he still is." What would he have to be angry about? I don't know the background on this.

P.P.S. And what's the big deal about weighing food? Lot's of folks with various sorts of medical problems or dietary goals weigh their food. I am sure that at least a handful of the other pros weigh their food, too. And I am sure virtually all of them have found other ways to eat what they consider an ideal diet. This is exactly the kind of "Lance Hype" I am saying needs to be put in perspective.

Everyone wants to know what the winner is doing differently than the rest. I really could care less how domestique #3 for Team Phonak trains, because he's not the star, he's not even expected to win. So, IMO, LA's training gets more attention, because he's so successful.

Second, he's unusual. He's a physically blessed, cancer survivor and a dominating american playing on european soil. To many, that's just weird and needs to be explained and explored.

Third, Chris Carmichael is LA's coach, if you haven't noticed again and again. Carmichael has a business and has much to gain in notoriety, and, therefore, money, from LA's success. Carmichael has a self-interest in promoting LA and hooking himself to the TdF gravy train. So, Carmichael tells everyone how LA trains, which means, "this is how I train LA for the TdF, and if you let me coach you (for a small fee) you can be as successful as LA."

I'm sure that if Carmichael trained the next non-Lance TdF champion we'd hear all about his training methods, too.

Fourth, related to #3 above, simple promotion for LA and his hangers-on and sponsors. Keep the name in front of the public any way possible. If this means discussing training and preparation for the TdF, great, just keep the public staring at the swoosh on the hat, the name on the bike, the logo on the helmet. LA isn't in Tiger Wood's league in the endorsement/promotional world, but he's still pretty big potatos, certainly the largest in cycling.

I was sent this article about Zabel/Ullrich
Yahoo Article (http://sports.yahoo.com/m/sc/news/reuters/20020708/reu-tourzabel.html) and Godefroot talks alot
about both of their training styles.
I agree about Carmichael System being a business
what I wonder is how much different is it to other
professional training systems?
The advances in training technique over the past
say 5 to 10 years are astounding. There is a whole
lot less injury now.
As to Lance being angry, well I see it as this,
he needs it to fuel the engine.
I think the entire french investigation, suspicions
and innuendos about doping fuel him this time.

Marty

Good points here. I thought the Zabel - Ullrich article interesting. I had seen some of the quotes in the German press, but not the whole run-down. Yes, Team Telekom must all be pretty upset with Ullrich. Hopefully his allegiance to his teammates will help him get back on track.

Woody makes a great point about Carmichael. I just didn't put 2 and 2 together. But, of course, Carmichael's greatest product right now happens to be the 3 time winner of the TdF. That helps me be less cynical about Armstrong, but it makes me even more so about Carmichael. But, he's certainly got the right to be proud of his work.

I do wish Armstrong would race more. But, like I suggested above. Maybe that's their biggest secret.

Cheers,
Jamie

Jamie,

I see Armstrong doing more classics next year, not
the full race to train routine, but similiar to this year.
I do think on some level he respects the history
and tradition of Pro cycling, and I think some of
his motivation will come from that.
I could get into off the wall theories that he
wants to etch his name in stone ala Merrkx, Coppi
etc but that would just be me blowing smoke.
All I know is that if he shows up the races tend
to be a whole lot more interesting.

Marty

Originally posted by jmlee
Yes, Team Telekom must all be pretty upset with Ullrich. Hopefully his allegiance to his teammates will help him get back on track.

Off topic here... does anyone else get the impression that Godefroot (sp?) is distancing Telekom from Ullrich? Like maybe they'd like to turn Ullrich loose and put their eggs in another basket in the future? That's the way his comments have come across, to me. And now the rumor mill has Ullrich looking at leaving Telekom...

Ullrich is good friends with
Bjarne Riis, which would be interesting
given Tyler and JaJa just saying he wants to
stay on another year.

Marty

One thing about Zabel that you have to remember is this: He has a higher percentage of race miles in his training than anyone else in the peloton. He races from February to December. Race miles are different than training miles... they don't just make you strong, they make you smart.

Apparently Bjarne Riis has said he wants to help Ullrich get back to his form where he can win the tour again- hinting that Ullrich is nt getting much help from Telekom. Interesting! If he lures Ullrich from Telekom, CSC can become a real powerhouse, like team Coast has in the past year or so. And Riis and ullrich would probably make a good duo.