Road Bike Racing - They're barely out of the cradle!

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Snicklefritz
05-05-06, 09:30 AM
Tom Boonen is, what, 26? and Michael Rogers is 25 and a 3-time world TT champion?

Are these guys just *that* good, or is it not unusual for world champions (in whatever discipline) to be younger guys?

DocRay
05-05-06, 11:10 AM
Cunego won the 04 Giro at 20.
Laggard
05-05-06, 11:20 AM
Cunego won the 04 Giro at 20.

22

Enthalpic
05-05-06, 11:35 AM
If you look at world records in sport most shorter event records are set by 29 year olds and long endurance events (marathon) are done by 30 - 31 year olds. So they should just keep getting better.
DocRay
05-05-06, 12:33 PM
22

Isn't he 22 now?
Laggard
05-05-06, 01:29 PM
He was born in '81.
Keith99
05-05-06, 02:44 PM
25 and 26 babies. The good start young

Coppi won his first Giro at 20. At 22 0r 23 he broke the hour record. He would have had a few more impressive early wins but there was a bit of bother in Europe at teh time.

Merckx was 20 when he won Milan San Remo for the first time. By his 23rd birthday he had won it again and added a Worlds, Paris- Roubaix and a Giro. In htat Giro he picked up all 3 major Jerseys. No one else has ever won all 3 (no not all 3 in one year, all 3 at all)

Anquetil picked up his first TDF at 23.

Hinault did the Tour Veulta double as a 23 year old. By that time he also had at least Leige-B-Leige.

Looks like at 25 and 26 these guys have some catching up top do.
GuitarWizard
05-05-06, 05:11 PM
Endurance athletes typically peak in their early 30's.....
Laggard
05-05-06, 06:56 PM
It takes a few years for most riders to build up the endurance to really compete well in a GT. Peak GT years seem to be circa 27-29.

Riders like Cunego and Valvarde seem to be the odd freaks.
oneradtec
05-05-06, 07:45 PM
I think it is one of the best indicators of potential ...when a rider starts winning at an extremely young age.

Armstrong won the World's at age 21. Who the hell does that? We should have known then that he was going to be something very special.

Boonen was how old when he got on the podium at Paris Robaix with Discovery? Wasn't he like 22 then? No one aged 22 gets on the podium at such a difficult race.

Cyclists generally get better with age and reach a peak around age 29-32....so when you see someone winning huge races at age 22 then you best put a mark by his name.