Instantaneous force doesn't tell you much, but applying it over time is power.

What exactly produces power, if not muscle?


You guys are jumping to some absurd extreme. Read my posts. I talked about technique and sprinting. I just fundamentally disagree with this notion that muscle is unhelpful. At the pro level no doubt are winners and losers influenced by genetics. Amateur racers and enthusiasts/hobbyists can improve tremendously through time and effort; it isn't preordained who is a great cyclist and who isn't.