I just now figured it out!

Watching the TDF on the tube, and I noticed something.

Those guys go faster uphill, than I do downhill......

... and I don't even want to contemplate how fast they go downhill.

Agreed, the fact that they can actually gain any advantage by drafting on uphill stretches lets me know that I have never been at their level.

Because you always see them around fast cyclists, it is easy to miss how fast they are... If they were to pass me, the difference in speed would be obvious... In fact, you would be amazed that I could stay so relatively balanced at such a slow speed.

I can get up to 40 MPH on my driveway...

I need to hunt for some hills that I can safely descend faster But I still have to get to the top first.

How fast are the TDF riders climbing? I frequently see joggers running along side of them.

I suppose if they can hit 30 MPH on the level, then it wouldn't take much of a downhill to get moving quite fast.

That was one crazy descent, today!

I am not sure about the TDF but I was at the AmGen two years ago and stationed myself at a curve where the climb goes from 5 percent to about 7 percent. I climb that section at 9 Mph or less they did the same climb at close to 20 and they were talking as they did it.

Here's me getting passed by a well-known local on a well-known Mountain. I'm probably going about 7 mph on 7%.

https://vimeo.com/133861835
Here's the Strava segment -
https://www.strava.com/segments/2163964
the top three guys were from the Amgen of 2013... not the Bradley Wiggins year (when it was a lot hotter).



[TABLE="class: striped, width: 939"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: athlete"]Lawson Craddock[/TD]
[TD]May 18, 2013[/TD]
[TD]16.1mi/h[/TD]
[TD]-[/TD]
[TD="class: power"]408W [/TD]
[TD]1,711.8[/TD]
[TD="class: last-child"]7:53[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]2[/TD]
[TD="class: athlete"]marc de maar[/TD]
[TD]May 18, 2013[/TD]
[TD]15.8mi/h[/TD]
[TD]173bpm[/TD]
[TD="class: power"]0W [/TD]
[TD]1,679.8[/TD]
[TD="class: last-child"]8:02[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]3[/TD]
[TD="class: athlete"]Chad Haga[/TD]
[TD]May 18, 2013[/TD]
[TD]15.1mi/h[/TD]
[TD]171bpm[/TD]
[TD="class: power"]407W [/TD]
[TD]1,609.7[/TD]
[TD="class: last-child"]8:23[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Usually you see runners on steep sections after the racers have been climbing all day. There is a 3 mile climb here with about a 5-6% grade. I used to climb it at 10mph and a friend who was racing in those days would go over 20mph on the same section.

I remember a guy writing into one of the bike magazines asking how to climb up steep hills while out of the saddle and on the drops like the Tour riders do.

The answer was basically "Those guys aren't like you and me."

Yesterday's last climb in the TDF was 11% at times with 17 switch-back curves. I believe they were moving at between 10-15 mph when climbing and achieved 42-45 mph on the downhill which was very dangerous.

IMO, TdF cycling is to non-competitive bicycling or bicycling in traffic, as NASCAR/F1 racing is to driving in traffic; lessons/technique to be learned applicable to routine day to day bicycling from either version of racing may be interesting to discuss, but are of questionable value in real life.

A couple of years ago the Pro Cycling Challenge ended a stage with a loop of downtown Colorado Springs that included a stretch of my commute. Very humbling, but then, I am twice as old as most of them (at least that's what I tell myself).

I try not to torture myself by watching the TDF on the box. It was bad enough seeing the cycling section at the local Triathlon last weekend here in town. Those guys were flying and they're not even pros!

They go far, far faster than that on the descents. Sean Kelly was clocked at 124kph descending from the Col du Joux Plane in the 1984 tour. That's 77 mph. When asked about it he said "I took a few risks".

That's exceptional, but speeds of >100kph are routinely achieved.

TDF guys are basically two legs on wheels, especially uphill. They burn 10X the calories we do too.


Average cyclist can't compete with Tour de France riders - latimes

When I was 17 I used to dream about riding the TDF. 50 years later I'm just hoping can top the next
grade without having to walk the bike.

On stage 16 on Monday a group of 15 or so "non-contenders" broke away at the start and averaged over 32mph for the first 30 miles........on an uphill grade of 2-4%. So, yeah, faster uphill than most of us going downhill.

At the first IM70.3 (Buffalo Springs) I did there was a bike turnaround at about 20 miles or so. I was heading toward it at probably 14 mph into a screaming hot headwind when the first of the pros came by in the other direction. I remember being amazed that I could HEAR them as they went by.

I'm certain you are correct and have witnessed speed over 50mph. I was just referring to that particular stage since it was very steep on the climb and dangerous on the descent.