Ok, so after reading all of 531's articles (very good stuff...I think I'll look for that book in my library), one might think that the East Africans could be competitive in cycling if they had the resources and the desire to do so. They certainly excel at endurance events, but a few problems are in the way. For one, cycling is expensive. Their economy may or may not be coming along, but those sorts of things seem to take a long time to develop. Secondly, cycling is not exactly the sexiest sport out there. I mean, they are on top of the endurance running game and I'm talking out of my ass here, but it doesn't seem like there is more money in cycling than there is in endurance running. What would be their motivation to choose cycling over running?

The last issue is what I'd like to ask you guys about. Do you think their advantages in running would translate to cycling? Certainly their metabolic advantages would be a benefit to them, but how different are the demands of cycling from the demands of running? Would successful body types for these two sports be a little different? Sprinting and climbing seem to have a bit of an anaerobic aspect to them, do they not? Would their average lack of anaerobic power hurt them on the hills and in close finishes?