Holy smokes! Thanks for that link. The greats make it look so easy. Sven is not sliding or drifting, I don't think. But we can't see him to find out. He's GONE. In an instant! And his run-up, it's over in a second. He makes the other guy look like he's walking, but the other guy was at the top in maybe 5 seconds -- that's only 4 seconds slower than Sven -- 4 times slower. Man, when Sven takes off it doesn't even look like he's pedaling faster -- he's just GONE. His corners are so smooth he doesn't need traction or grip or sliding. They don't even know he was there...

A friend who did the Masters at the World's went and watched the World's dudes practicing one day. They were awesome, he said, then Sven came out and joined in and he said that Sven was just blowing everyone else away even then, like hugely faster even in practice -- a different level. Like, the Nat'l dudes blow normal mortals away and boggle the mind -- then Sven comes out and makes them look like they're going slow. Amazing.

Even at our local races when I see a top A going thru they look so smooth and easy, not ruffled or rushed, and they might be a half lap up on everyone else. It truly is boggling.