Originally Posted by kimconyc

I'm pretty sure LeMond is saying that in cycling, physical performance is the ultimate indicator. No matter how strong a rider is mentally, there is a clear physical limit in cycling as opposed to something like golf, which relies less on direct physical output or measurable data.

When LeMond seriously started training with power and such he said that his base numbers did not change significantly over his career. In fact, they decreased after his accident and he had to work his way back up to his genetic limits.