Time Trialling

Richard Hillman

Hello. I was having a drunken conversation with friends the other day, so appreciate that the question isnt of that serious of a nature or that we have invested time or plans into this

Time Trials in major comps are usually around 45-50km particularly the Olympic Road time trial. The question that came up is, would a man of good health and age be able to train purely for a 45km time trial for the Rio games and give a good account of himself?

I know how ludicrous it sounds but the arguments put forward for it would be that you could train intensely for 4 years purely to achieve over 45km. Other cyclists would usually compete in the Tour De France a few weeks before and some in the road race a few days before it. The pro cyclist training all year training in general would be for road races whilst some have the great ability to time trial.

Forgetting getting team qualification red tape etc :pac: would a man of good health, that trained purely for 4 years full time be able to physically compete with the best in the world over 45k after 4 years of intense training?

Remember its just a drunken conversation that took wings

Quigs Snr

Depends on the man. Some people can time trial, some cannot (relatively speaking at least). Practice will improve you up to a certain point, the point where you won't humiliate yourself, but nor will you necessarily trouble the big boys, but hardwork isn't enough at the very elite level. Genetics and natural ability will play a big factor in as pure a discipline as TT riding.

Of course, if its anything like London where you cannot just ride the TT, you have to ride another cycling event at the games too, then its all a moot point from a practical perspective.

Lumen

50kph is extremely fast.

Think of it in running terms: could you do a 2:10 marathon given sufficient time to train? No.

Is time trialling at 50kph easier than running at 20kph? No.

On the other hand...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjpx136lgLk

morana

Maybe yes!

I think Hucthinson falls into this category just a pure TT guy who beat the pros in the Nationals but you would need to be competing in the TT's all of the time..
but it probably took more than 4 years to do what he is doing

Junior

morana wrote: »

Maybe yes!

I think Hucthinson falls into this category just a pure TT guy who beat the pros in the Nationals but you would need to be competing in the TT's all of the time..
but it probably took more than 4 years to do what he is doing

However Hutch is more than just an engine, he's spent vast amounts of time and effort on skinsuits, positions, equipment etc and he's been at this discipline a lot longer than just 4 years.

Beasty

Junior wrote: »

However Hutch is more than just an engine, he's spent vast amounts of time and effort on skinsuits, positions, equipment etc and he's been at this discipline a lot longer than just 4 years.

I thnk his 2nd hour record attempt was around 2005/6, and he was in his early thirties then. He was UK pursuit champion back in 2002. He's been doing this for 20 years or so, and still has not managed to get to the Olympics (managed a 4th place in the Commonwealth Games though)

I personally do not believe just anyone can be trained to put out over 400w for getting on for an hour to hit the speeds required to give a good account for yourself at the Olympics

Lumen

Beasty wrote: »

I personally do not believe just anyone can be trained to put out over 400w for getting on for an hour

And the rest! More likely over 450W.

According to some thread on SlowTwitch Wiggins has recorded 480-500W for 18 minutes in UK 10 mile TTs.

colm_gti

Lumen wrote: »

And the rest! More likely over 450W.

According to some thread on SlowTwitch Wiggins has recorded 480-500W for 18 minutes in UK 10 mile TTs.

Ouch....

niceonetom

Could you pick a random dog "in good health" up from the DSPCA shelter and train it, over the course of four years to "give a good account of himself" at the dog track? No. All the training in the world won't make a labradoodle really fast. And it's for much the same reasons that most of us will never, could never have, even with perfect training from an early age, make it to the very top of a sport like TTing: genetics.

It softens the blow to our ego to imagine, as we scratch ourselves on the couch before the TV, that in other circumstances we could have made it. That we're not really so different form Farrar, or Bolt, Or Wiggins etc. - they're just better trained, more dedicated, they just found their talent earlier, believed in themselves, were nurtured to be the specimens they are now. But it's bollocks. They are different. As different to us as the average as a pit pony is to Red Rum. Of course, they are also the best trained, most dedicated and supported athletes in the world but that's only half the difference. The rest was set when sperm met egg.

Lumen

niceonetom wrote: »

Could you pick a random dog "in good health" up from the DSPCA shelter and train it, over the course of four years to "give a good account of himself" at the dog track? No. All the training in the world won't make a labradoodle really fast

Dog racing is all about genetics, training and marginal gains, and nothing at all about doping. Oh no, uh uh.

ednwireland

Lumen wrote: »

Dog racing is all about genetics, training and marginal gains, and nothing at all about doping. Oh no, uh uh.

and cadence

Beasty

Lumen wrote: »

And the rest! More likely over 450W.

According to some thread on SlowTwitch Wiggins has recorded 480-500W for 18 minutes in UK 10 mile TTs.

Ah, but I was assuming he wasn't looking to medal (not at Rio anyway)

Of course, if Ireland can put a bid together for 2024 we may all get a chance to get plenty of practice in - wonder if they would use Batterstown/Trim?

petethedrummer

niceonetom wrote: »

And it's for much the same reasons that most of us will never, could never have, even with perfect training from an early age, make it to the very top of a sport like TTing: genetics.

Totally agreed.

And before anyone goes quoting Gladwell and his 10,000 hours theory, give this a read.
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2011/08/talent-training-and-performance-secrets.html

High Nellie

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Hello. I was having a drunken conversation with friends the other day, so appreciate that the question isnt of that serious of a nature or that we have invested time or plans into this

Time Trials in major comps are usually around 45-50km particularly the Olympic Road time trial. The question that came up is, would a man of good health and age be able to train purely for a 45km time trial for the Rio games and give a good account of himself?

I know how ludicrous it sounds but the arguments put forward for it would be that you could train intensely for 4 years purely to achieve over 45km. Other cyclists would usually compete in the Tour De France a few weeks before and some in the road race a few days before it. The pro cyclist training all year training in general would be for road races whilst some have the great ability to time trial.

Forgetting getting team qualification red tape etc :pac: would a man of good health, that trained purely for 4 years full time be able to physically compete with the best in the world over 45k after 4 years of intense training?

Remember its just a drunken conversation that took wings

Yes, (or No, depending):
Yes if
1) the training was optimum
2) the 'man' had the necessary genetic potential, such as VO2 max potential - i.e. probably 'no' for 'Mr. Average Man'.