Originally Posted by
Riveting
The efforts are different for sure. But you think downhill skiers don't tuck and coast? Pro riders don't require effort to go 75 mph coming into their turns? Do you also think NASCAR/F1 drivers don't put out any effort either?
Of course NASCAR drivers put out effort but it's not the same as a pro cyclist or a downhill skier. I have seen a NASCAR driver being lifted out of the car due to exhaustion. When a downhill skier is tucked they are still absorbing the terrain and aren't resting.
And I would have to see evidence that a cyclist went 75 mph. I'm not saying it's impossible but it might be, especially in a turn. And whatever effort a cyclist puts out to coast is dwarfed by their climbing effort. Maybe a little strenuous for those that sit on the top tube.
I read an article by road racing great Kenny Roberts and he said the hard part of racing Moto GP was staying at attention constantly throughout the race. Not an aerobic effort or a strength thing but super high attention and perfection of movement and reaction wears you out.
I also read that Supercross riders typically have their heart rate north of 175 bpm during the race and they rest while in the air over jumps, the only rest they get.
From TDF:
Katusha-Alpecin’s Nils Politt – a top-five finisher at Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders this year – became the first rider to break the 100kph barrier according to the Tour’s official data feed, hitting a mind-boggling 101.5kph on a section of the descent with a negative 7 percent gradient.