Bike Forums - sprint speeds?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by CastIron (Post 5884635)

The finish was uphill with a nasty headwind coming over the crest. The course didn't look like much, but seemed to waste folks quite handily.

Yeah, I won a sprint at a similar speed. The wind was bad enough that I decided to sprint in the downwind gutter, and my drafter could not get around me in the wind. When he started covering me, my back half was drafting off his front half :roflmao:

Quote:

Originally Posted by waterrockets (Post 5883726)

You don't even have to have a higher top speed -- just a snappier acceleration at the beginning can hold off a powerhouse if you get some real estate on the jump.

guys with lots of snap usually have lots of power. I remember mario cipollini back in the late 90s in the early stages of the tour when he launched from five or six guys back and cut through to the front and win with ease. this is with guys going all out. it true that you need to be faster than the other guys, but you also need to be set up. big name sprinters have leadout guys that pace them into position and launch them. this keeps them as fresh as possible for that last 200 meters and that is how they can have anything left after 110 miles of racing.

back in the day, I was able to get to 42 on the flats with a leadout and high 30s on my own.

Ok, today I won a sprint at 23mph, and only 1008W. There were about 40 on this ride, but it had thinned to only 10 or so in the hunt for the big sprint. I had several bike lengths on the others.

How's that for "it depends" and "just faster than the rest?"