Interesting TDF Data-Drugs, Bike, or Human body.
07-24-11, 11:33 AM
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Road quality and routes chosen? Overall difficulty and length of the race? different strategies?
07-24-11, 11:45 AM
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Pro-bound.
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07-24-11, 11:47 AM
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I wish I can climb quarter as fast as the pros.
07-24-11, 11:49 AM
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In 1981-82 you might have said the same about Hinault. Again in 1991-95 you might have said the same about Indurain. So many variables. It would be interesting if someone had a "technology (aero, tires, weight, etc.)" time line to add to the picture.
07-24-11, 11:49 AM
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Some of the gain is from better training, nutrition and the introduction of race radio. But drugs certainly play a big part.
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07-24-11, 12:12 PM
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It's interesting to me that the improvements were so small and gradual. Clearly technology has made only marginal differences. Merckx on a steel bike with a five-speed cassette wasn't much slower than those on carbon bikes with eleven- speed electronic shifting.
The course chosen matters a lot, of course. And one must remember that tactics have changed in ways that increase average speed. In the seventies one didn't get teams riding like US postal or disco, sitting en masse on the front for mile after mile and riding at tempo to make it difficult for others to establish breaks. So I'd rather not judge by average speeds over three weeks, and instead focus on the times people are achieving in the climbs and TTs. Having said that it's difficult to avoid the conclusion that from the late eighties EPO has made a difference.
The course chosen matters a lot, of course. And one must remember that tactics have changed in ways that increase average speed. In the seventies one didn't get teams riding like US postal or disco, sitting en masse on the front for mile after mile and riding at tempo to make it difficult for others to establish breaks. So I'd rather not judge by average speeds over three weeks, and instead focus on the times people are achieving in the climbs and TTs. Having said that it's difficult to avoid the conclusion that from the late eighties EPO has made a difference.
07-24-11, 12:32 PM
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Average mph differences can be deceiving. If Merckx had raced in this year's TdF at 22.5 mph, he would have been over 9 hours behind Evans over the 2144 mile distance.
07-24-11, 12:48 PM
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Sure. About 10%. But look at Hinault in 1981, he wouldn't have been so far adrift. Too many variables to draw definitive conclusions.
07-24-11, 12:59 PM
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In 2010 there were I think about 4 countries in the first week. In 2011 there were 2 countries in 3 weeks.
In 2010 there was a heat wave in the first week. In 2011 there was rain and cold.
The only thing that stays the same is the name 'Le Tour de France'.
Drawing any conclusions from average speed is a totally unscientific exercise.
In 2010 there was a heat wave in the first week. In 2011 there was rain and cold.
The only thing that stays the same is the name 'Le Tour de France'.
Drawing any conclusions from average speed is a totally unscientific exercise.
